Bs  : 

2860 

.P62 

1904 

1 

Bible. 

1 

The 

gospel  of  the 

childhood 

of 

Our 

Lord 

Jesus 

Christ 

THE  CHILDHOOD 
OF  CHRIST 


Of  this  edition  of'*  The  Childhood  of  Christ''  one 
thousand  copies  have  been  printed  on  Cheltenham  wove 
paper.  An  edition  of  twenty  five  copies  has  also  been 
specially  printed  on  Japanese  vellum  for  subscribers. 


'Situ  .    fvl.T  Ayocryp 

THE  GOSPEL  OF  THE 
CHILDHOOD  OF  OUR 
LORD  JESUS  CHRIST 

TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  LATIN 
BY  HENRY  COPLEY  ^GREENE 

WITH  ORIGINAL  TEXT  OF  THE  MANU- 
SCRIPT AT  THE  MONASTERY  OF  SAINT 
WOLFGANG,  AN  INTRODUCTION  BY 
ALICE  MEYNELL,  AND  A  COVER  AND 
ILLUSTRATIONS  BY  CARLOS  SCHWABE 


^^mucr^ 


V 

JUL  IB  1924 


NEW  YORK:  SCOTT-THAW  CO. 

LONDON:  BURNS  AND  OATES 

MCMIV 


A^ 


:±-'<ov. 


THE  GOSPEL  OF 


:^?^2>*^ 


THE  CHfLDHOOD  OF 


j|r  lor 


S  CH 


Copyright,  1904,  by  Scott-Thaw  Co. 
Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall,  London,  England. 


The  Heintzemann  Press y  Boston ^  U.  S.  A. 


Illustrations 

Et  statim  muta  locuta  est         .          ,         ,  pj 

Alter  altera  sicut  pilas  sidera  jaciebat         .  lo^ 

Jesus  manum  suam  extendit  super  fluvios   .  i6j 

And  straightway  the  dumb  spake      .         .  g^ 

One  to  another  they  threw,  like  balls,  the 

stars  of  the  firmament           .          .          .  io6 

Jesus  inclined  the  stem  toward  the  waters  of 

the  river  ......  i68 


Dormi,  Jesu!   mater  ridet 

Quae  tarn  dulcem  somnum  videt, 

Dormi,  Jesu  !   blandule  ! 
Si  non  dermis,  mater  plorat. 
Inter  fila  cantans  orat, 

Blande,  veni,  somnule. 


Sleep,  sweet  Babe !   my  cares  beguiling : 
Mother  sits  beside  Thee  smiling ; 

Sleep,  my  Darling,  tenderly ; 
If  Thou  sleep  not,  mother  mourneth. 
Singing  at  the  wheel  she  turneth  : 

Come,  soft  slumber,  balmily  ! 

Samuel  Taylor  Coleridge. 


Introductory 


HE  Schools  of  Painting  of  the  four- 
teenth, fifteenth,  and  sixteenth  cen- 
turies show  to  the  tourist  and  the  student  a 
long  series  of  scenes  and  actions  from  some 
unknown  and  unaccredited  New  Testament. 
The  Masters,  from  the  first  art  of  Florence 
to  the  last  of  Venice,  are  busy  with  it.  Giotto 
has  its  incidents  by  heart,  and  they  are  the 
selfsame  as  Titian  painted  when  the  whole 
history  of  Italian  design  and  colour  was  about 
to  be  perfected,  completed,  and  closed. 

The  Masters  would  have  been  infinitely 
surprised  had  they  been  taught  the  modern 
idea  of  indifference  to  the  " subjects''  of  the 
painter.  That  idea  has  doubtless  its  value ; 
it  has  its  place  in  the  linked  chain  of  the 
thoughts  of  man  upon  his  arts  —  the  various 
record  of  which  has  given  to  literature  one 
of  her  brilliant  activities.  But  in  the  great 
ages  when  design,  when  decoration,  when 

[^3] 


Introductory 


colour,  when  the  touch  of  the  brush,  were 
in  a  technical  perfection  whereof  little  was 
said,  of  the  subject  of  a  picture  much  was 
thought.  That  was,  to  all  minds,  the  natural 
thing,  the  matter  to  be  discussed,  the  painter's 
motive,  and  the  interest  of  the  public  —  the 
congregation.  The  Great  Masters  would 
have  had  assuredly  a  certain  pang — the 
wound  of  the  misunderstood  and  the  virtu- 
ally neglected — if  they  had  known  how  little 
the  future  analyser  of  their  colours,  the 
measurer  of  their  brushmarks,  would  care 
what  things  they  painted.  For  their  sub- 
jects, unnamed  or  barely  named  in  catalogues, 
have,  in  fact,  passed  before  unrecognizing 
modern  eyes.  Not  even  the  constant  recur- 
rence of  one  scene,  one  incident,  is  enough 
to  evoke  a  question.  What  little  doubt  or 
surmise  may  flicker  in  the  absent  mind  of  a 
tourist,  say  in  Padua,  is  satisfied  by  the  ex- 
planation:  ''It  is  some  tradition." 

Much  more  than  a  tradition  was  the  lit- 
erature  from  which   the  Masters    painted. 

[H] 


Introductory 


Every  gallery  in  Europe,  every  gallery  in 
America  in  which  are  old  Italian  paintings, 
of  whatever  century,  has  its  illustrations  of 
the  Apocryphal  Gospels.  Those  writings 
must  have  formed  the  lighter  religious  read- 
ing of  the  nations.  ^*  The  fairy-story  of 
Scripture,''  M.  Catulle  Mendes  has  called 
them.  They  were  in  part  the  fairy  story  of 
a  time  that  gravely  believed  in  dragons. 
The  fairy  story  of  our  children  was  the  adult 
romance  of  our  forefathers,  which  explains 
why  the  romantic  fairy-story  is  a  love-story 
and  does  not  relate  the  adventures  of  chil- 
dren. But  the  Old  Master  took  his  Apoc- 
ryphal Gospels  more  gravely  than  any  ro- 
mance. They  were  doubtless  the  burden  of 
his  nurse's  songs  and  his  mother's  tales;  and, 
simple-minded  painter,  he  paid  them  life- 
long attention,  and  held  nothing  better,  after 
the  Nativity  and  the  Crucifixion  according 
to  the  canonical  Evangelists,  for  the  theme 
of  his  art,  than  their  gentle  tales. 

There  did  Giotto  find  the  long  series  of 


[15] 


Introductory 


the  Nativity  of  the  Virgin,  and  so,  before 
him,  did  the  earliest  sculptor  of  the  Middle 
Ages,  who  brought  the  latest  Greece  into 
Italy ;  so  did  Ghirlandajo,  and  so  did  many 
and  many  a  Florentine,  a  Sienese,  a  citizen 
of  the  outlying  cities  with  their  scattered 
schools.  To  the  Apocryphal  Gospels  Raph- 
ael went  for  that  **Sposalizio'*  which  shows 
the  neatest  and  most  dapper  classic  building 
in  all  art.  To  them  Titian  turned  his  august 
eyes  in  search  of  his  little  Virgin,  lapped  from 
head  to  foot  in  her  nimbus,  scaling  the 
Temple  steps ;  and  Tintoretto  painted  her 
there,  as  the  Gospels  of  the  Infancy  described 
her.  The  Apocryphal  names  were  familiar  as 
household  words  in  all  Italian  homes — Jo- 
achim, Anne,  Abiathar  the  priest,  whose 
son  broke  his  budless  rod,  Judith  the  hand- 
maid, the  women  Zalemiand  Salome,  Demas 
the  thief  who  repented,  and  Gestas  who  re- 
viled the  Lord.  The  names  of  Mary  and 
Anne,  daughter  and  mother,  piously  united, 
became  in  England  the  very  commonplace 


[i6] 


Introductory 


of  baptism,  a  compound  name  so  ordinary 
that  George  Eliot,  for  instance,  did  not  bear 
it  willingly.  One  incident  which  occurs  in 
the  Gospels  of  the  Infancy  has  even  been 
adopted  in  an  orthodox  litany  —  not  a  litur- 
gical litany,  but  one  composed  for  the  private 
devotion  of  Catholics.  This  is  the  overthrow 
of  the  idols  in  the  temples  of  Egypt  by  the 
coming  of  the  fugitive  Child.  **  Infant,  over- 
thrower  of  idols,'*  runs  an  invocation  of  the 
litany  in  question,  and  this  —  besides  the 
preservation  of  the  names  of  Joachim  and 
Anne — is  the  only  vestige  of  the  Apocry- 
phal Gospels  to  be  found  in  the  modern 
popular  prayer-book. 

The  word  fairy-story  is  in  part  justified  by 
the  quite  distinctive  quality  of  imagination 
perceptible  in  these  writings,  and  especially 
in  this  beautiful  Gospel  once  attributed  to 
Saint  Peter.  It  was  not  Saint  Peter,  nor  any 
Hebrew  disciple  of  Christ,  but  a  poet  of  an- 
other inspiration,  who  wrote  in  the  fourth 
chapter  :  **He  saw  the  pole-star  stopped, . .  . 


[17] 


Introductory 


and  the  wind  held  his  peace .  . .  He  saw  a 
bowl  full  of  meats,  and  labourers  sitting 
whose  hands  were  in  the  bowl ;  but,  on  the 
point  of  eating,  they  did  not  eat ; . . .  and  in 
the  fields  sheep  wandered  not;... and  at  a 
river  Joseph  saw  rams  whose  beards  touched 
the  water,  but  the  rams  drank  not.  For 
heaven  and  earth  and  all  living  things  were 
waiting.''  Again,  the  miracle  of  the  dumb 
bride,  with  the  sweet  indulgence  of  the 
close,  seems  rather  to  refer  us  not  to  Hebrew 
feeling  but  to  the  beginnings  of  the  ages 
called  *'dark''  —  to  their  tenderness,  and  to 
the  freshness  of  the  heart  of  the  world  rising 
young  from  the  ruins  of  Antiquity.  What- 
ever the  origin  of  the  Gospel  according  to 
Saint  Peter,  it  seems  to  have  been  retouched 
by  some  suggestion  from  the  wilder  North, 
or  at  least  by  some  prophecy  of  that  new 
vitality. 

The  Latin  text  of  this  version  of  The 
Gospel  of  the  Infancy  according  to  St.  Pe- 
ter,  found   some  years  ago  in  the  ancient 

[i8] 


Introductory 


Abbey  of  Saint  Wolfgang  in  the  Salzkam- 
mergut,  has  no  discoverable  origin.  The 
evidence  it  bears  to  itself  is  all  we  have. 
Mr.  Henry  Copley  Greene,  to  whom  we 
owe  this  fine  translation,  thinks  that  the  ref- 
erence to  "  hyperphysics ''  and  some  other 
passages  may  suggest  a  Gnostic  source,  un- 
less they  should  have  been  borrowed  from 
another  Gospel  of  the  Holy  Childhood  — 
the  better  known  "Arabic.''  A  comparison 
of  Saint  Peter's  with  other  apocryphal  Gos- 
pels—  the  **  Arabic"  and  thoseof  James  and 
Matthew  (''The  Nativity  of  Mary"),  of 
Joseph  the  Carpenter,  and  of  Thomas,  shows 
a  close  relation.  Not  one  of  the  important 
incidents  in  these  seem  to  be  omitted  from 
Saint  Peter's.  But  the  most  lyrical  passages 
of  all — for  example,  the  scene  between  the 
Child  and  Pharaoh  —  are  found  in  this  Gos- 
pel alone.  Mr.  Greene  thinks  that  although 
it  may  possibly  be  a  Latin  translation  of  an 
early  Arabic  or  Coptic  work,  it  is  much 
more   probably  a  mediaeval  "harmony"  of 


[19] 


Introductory 


the  other  apocryphal  Gospels,  rewritten  and 
sometimes  extended  in  a  spirit  almost  Fran- 
ciscan. The  Christ  of  Saint  Peter  is  far 
more  tender  and  merciful  than  the  Christ 
of  Saint  Thomas. 

Mr.  Greene's  translation  has  achieved  a 
difficult  success.  Simple  English,  an  English 
having  the  calm  of  a  language  no  longer 
in  the  restless  current  of  service,  was  needed 
here ;  and  yet  few  readers  in  America  or 
England  would  look  in  a  pseudo-Gospel  for 
English  purely  Biblical ;  —  that  is  not  apoc- 
ryphal, but  canonical.  Without  effort,  and 
yet  without  that  false  ease  which  gives  lev- 
ity to  the  phrase,  he  has  taken  a  moderate 
course.  It  has  been  said  that  metre  should 
confess,  but  not  suffisr  from,  its  difficulties; 
and  it  is  so  with  translation.  The  difficulty 
has  a  value  of  its  own;  it  is  friction  —  fric- 
tion of  water  to  the  oar,  and  of  air  to  the 
pinion. 

In  this  admirable  form  the  translation  of 
these  scriptures,  dear  to  our  ancestors  through 

[20] 


Introductory 


centuries,  has  now  given  us  another  share  in 
the  traditional  record  of  the  parentage,  the 
growth,  the  laughter,  the  troubles,  and  the 
miraculous  play  of  "the  little  Master." 

Alice  Meynell. 


[ai] 


THE  CHILDHOOD 
OF  CHRIST 


N  nomine   Dei  unius  in  sua 
essentia  et  trini  in  suis  per- 


sonis, 


Adjuvante  Uno-Trino. 

Petrus,  in  quam  petram  aedifica- 
bitur  Ecclesia,  nonnunquam  divae 
Mariae  de  Unigenito  in  prima  aetate 
narrantis  auditor,  huncce  verborum 
et  miraculorum  Heri  parvuli,  qui 
nominetur  Evangelium  Infantiae, 
librum  scripsimus  in  pace  Domini. 


[^4] 


N  the  name  of  God,  one  in 
His  essence  and  threefold  in 
His  persons, 
By  the  aid  of  Three-in-One, 
We,  the  rock  Peter,  upon  which 
rock  the  church  shall  be  built,  hav- 
ing often  heard  the  divine  Mary  tell 
of  the  only  begotten  Son  in  His 
earliest  years,  have  written,  concern- 
ing the  words  and  miracles  of  the  little 
Master,  this  book,  called  the  Gospel 
of  the  Childhood,  in  the  peace  of 
the  Lord. 


[^S] 


Caput  t^rimum 

^^^j^OMINA  gloriosa  et  semper 
virgo  Maria  fonte  David  orta. 
Mariae  pater  Joachim  et  Anna 
materin  civitate  Nazareth, justicon- 
juges,  Deo  grati.  Unam  tripartiti 
vectigalis  sui  templo  et  templi  mini- 
stris,  aliam  peregrinis  et  pauperibus, 
tertiam,  quae  minima,  familiae  usibus 
sibique  impendebant  partem.  Nam 
scyphus  aquae  unicus,  si  eum  inve- 
nerit  homo  in  saeculo  futuro,  prae- 

[26] 


Cl^e  ^im  €t)aptn 


^^^HE  glorious  Lady  and  ever 

YmL\C^  virgin  Mary  came  forth  from 

the  fount  of  David.  Joachim 


m 


the  father  of  Mary,  and  Anna  her 
mother,  were  a  just  pair  in  the  city 
of  Nazareth,  and  pleasing  to  God. 
Of  their  revenues,  divided  in  three 
parts,  they  bestowed  the  first  upon 
the  temple  and  the  ministers  of  the 
temple,  another  upon  wayfarers  and 
the  poor,  the  third,  which  was  the 
least,  upon  the  family's  needs  and 
upon  their  own.  For  a  single  cup 
of  water,  if  a  man  find  it  in  the  time 
to  come,  shall  be  more  profitable  and 

[^7] 


Evangelium  Infanttae 


stantior  et  major  cunctis  divitiis 
hujus  totius  mundi,  et  locus  pes  unus 
in  domo  Patris  major  et  excellentior 
omnibus  opibus  terrae. 

Attamen  infecunda  dolebat  Anna 
conjux.  Sola  in  horto  conspiciens 
per  laurum  passeris  nidum  ubi  pulli 
pipilabant,  flevit,  dicens,  Omnipo- 
tens  Domine,  quo  benevolente  sunt 
avibus  aviculi  et  piscibus  pisciculi 
et  anguibus  anguiculi  et  feris  catuli, 
famulae  tuae  inspice  misericors  in- 
felicitatem  vacuae!  Cui  Angelus 
Domini,  sole  nitidior,  apparuit,  et 
[28] 


T'he  Childhood  of  Christ 


greater  than  the  entire  riches  of  this 
whole  world;  and  the  space  of  one  foot 
in  the  Father's  house  is  greater  and 
more  excellent  than  all  the  goods  of 
the  earth. 

Nevertheless  Anna  the  wife 
grieved,  for  she  was  barren.  Alone  in 
her  garden,  considering,  in  a  bay- 
tree,  a  sparrow's  nest  where  the 
young  were  chirping,  she  wept,  say- 
ing. Almighty  God,  through  whose 
good  will  the  birds  have  little  birds, 
and  the  fishes  little  fishes,  and  the 
serpents  little  serpents,  and  the  wild 
beasts  cubs,  mercifully  look  down 
upon  the  misfortune  of  thine  un- 
fruitful servant.  And  an  angel  of  the 
Lord,  more  brilliant  than  the  sun, 

[29] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


clamavit,  Ne  doleas,  Anna,  nam 
soboles  tua  in  consiliis  Dei  aeternum 
vixit  et  quae  ventre  tuo  exorietur 
super  omnes  mulierum  filias  usque 
ad  ultimum  saeculum  expletum  be- 
nedicetur  filia.  Et  fuerat  Angeli 
lumen. 

Igitur  concepit  Anna  et  filiam 
peperit  quae  Maria  vocata  est.  Et 
eodem  die  omnes  rubentes  in  campis 
et  sentibus  Israel  albescerunt  rosae, 
et  trans  coelum  corvi  albedine  visi 
sunt  columbina  vestiti. 


[30] 


T'he  Childhood  of  Christ 


appeared  and  cried  aloud,  Grieve 
not,  Anna;  for  in  the  councils  of  God 
thy  seed  hath  lived  forever,  and  the 
daughter  that  shall  come  forth  from 
thy  womb  shall  be  blessed  above 
all  the  daughters  of  women,  even 
unto  the  end  of  the  last  generation. 
And  the  light  of  the  angel  was  not. 
Accordingly  Anna  conceived  and 
brought  forth  a  daughter  who  was 
called  Mary.  And  on  that  same 
day  all  the  red  roses  in  the  fields 
and  the  paths  of  Israel  grew  white; 
and  in  the  sky  crows  were  seen 
clothed  with  the  whiteness  of  doves. 


[31] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  ^ecuntium* 

UM  vix  ablactatam  in  tem- 
plum  earn  attulerunt  Joa- 
chim Annaque  ut  inter  puel- 
las  quae  in  laudibus  Domini  florent 
liliesceret  virgo,  ilia  diva  Maria  cur- 
rendo  et  saltando  quindecim  altaris 
gradus  ascendit.  Nee  retro  conspi- 
ciebat  nee  parentes  petebat  more 
infantium;  nam  ad  verum  patrem 
aeternum  Deum  currebat  parvulis- 
sima. 

Et  Maria  sicut  columba  educa- 
batur  in  sacro  et  e  manibus  Ange- 
lorum  cibum  accipiebat.     Salutato- 

[3^] 


T'he  Childhood  of  Christ 


HEN  Joachim  and  Anna 
brought  her  to  the  temple, 
to  grow  up  a  virgin  lily 
among  the  maidens  that  flower  in 
the  praises  of  the  Lord,  that  divine 
Mary,  though  hardly  v^eaned,  went 
up  the  fifteen  steps  of  the  altar,  run- 
ning and  leaping.  And  she  neither 
looked  back  nor  sought  her  parents, 
as  children  are  wont  to  do.  For 
she  ran  to  God  the  Eternal,  her  true 
father,  while  very  young. 

And  Mary  was  brought  up  like  a 
dove  in  the  sanctuary,  and  out  of 
the  hands  of  angels  she  received  her 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


ribus  respondebat  urbana  piaque: 
Gratias  agamus  Deo!  Inde  homi- 
num  Deo  gratias  respondere  salu- 
tantibus  in  consuetudinem  venit. 

Postea,  cum  adoluit  Maria,  ponti- 
fex  Abiathar  magnifica  munera  attu- 
litut  filio  Mariam  sponsam  obtineret. 
At  Maria  negans:  Sicut  lac  aurei 
canthari  in  lutum  effundi  non  solet 
nee  allii  spica  misceri  in  turibulo, 
hand  mihi  licitum  hominem  cognos- 
cere  vel  ab  homine  cognosci.  Sum 
nivis  semita  solis  pedibus  Dei. 
Tunc  presbyter:  Ecce  Maria  no- 
[34] 


T'he  Childhood  of  Christ 


food.  Courteous  and  devout,  she 
made  answer  to  those  that  saluted 
her,  Let  us  give  thanks  to  God! 
Thence  it  became  a  custom  among 
men  to  answer  those  that  saluted 
them,  Thanks  be  to  God! 

Thereafter,  when  Mary  had  grown 
in  years,  the  high  priest  Abiathar 
brought  magnificent  presents  to  win 
Mary  for  his  son  to  wife.  But  Mary 
denied  him,  saying,  As  it  is  not 
meet  to  pour  milk  from  a  golden 
goblet  into  the  mire,  nor  to  set  a 
clove  of  garlic  in  a  censer,  it  is  not 
at  all  permitted  me  to  know  man 
or  to  be  known  of  man.  I  am  a 
path  of  snow  for  the  feet  of  God 
alone.     Then  said  the  priest,  Lo, 

[35] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


vum  Dei  adorandi  modum   instituit 
et  virginitate  gaudebit  Dominus. 

Sed,  quia  quatuordecim  annos 
expleverat,nonlicebatMariaelongius 
in  sacro  incolere,  et,  tempore  advento 
justum  eligendi  cui  virgo  servanda 
traderetur,  pontificibus  placuit  ut 
veniret  quicumque  sine  sponsa  vir, 
et  in  manu  virgulam  ferret.  Quippe 
interrogatus  responderat  Deus:  Ex 
una  virgula  evolabit  ad  coelum  tur- 
turella  et  magistro  virgulae  e  qua 
columba  evolaverit  servanda  virgo 
Maria  tradatur. 


T*he  Childhood  of  Christ 


Mary  hath  set  up  a  new  manner  of 
worshipping  God,  and  the  Lord  shall 
rejoice  in  virginity. 

But  since  she  had  ended  her  four- 
teenth year,  Mary  might  no  longer 
dwell  in  the  sanctuary;  and  the  time 
having  come  to  choose  a  just  man 
to  whom  she  should  be  given  over  to 
keep  a  virgin,  it  was  pleasing  to  the 
priests  that  every  man  without  a  wife 
should  draw  near,  and  that  he  should 
bear  in  his  hand  a  wand.  For  God, 
being  questioned,  had  made  answer. 
From  one  wand  a  young  turtle-dove 
shall  fly  toward  heaven,  and  to  the 
master  of  the  wand  from  which  the 
dove  hath  flown,  let  Mary  be  given 
over  to  keep  a  virgin. 

[37] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Inter  juvenes  Joseph  viduus  forte 
adiit,  qui  lignarius  erat,  et  senex 
inopsque  videbatur;  et  in  manu 
virgulam  portabat. 

Ecce  erant  apud  altare  ter  mille 
virgulae,  et  ex  nulla  evolavit  turtur. 
Idcirco,  maximus  presbyter  Abiathar, 
postquam  sacerdotalia  ornamenta 
cum  duodecim  campanulis  induit, 
in  sacrum  sacrorum  intravit,  et  sacri- 
ficium  obtulit,  et  Angelus  Dei  ap- 
paruit,  dicens:  Conspice  banc  mi- 
nimam  virgulam  quam  sicut  nihil 
intuitus  es;  ex  ea  manifestabitur  sig- 
num.    Et  ilia  virgula  Joseph  erat. 

Quia  senex  et  miserabilis,  non 
repetebat  virgam,  ne  Mariam  accipe- 

[38] 


T^he  Childhood  of  Christ 


Among  the  men  there  came  by 
chance  Joseph,  a  widower  who  was  a 
carpenter,  and  seemed  old  and  poor; 
and  in  his  hand  he  carried  a  wand. 

Lo,  there  were  three  thousand 
wands,  and  from  none  of  them  had 
flown  a  turtle-dove.  Wherefore  the 
high  priest  Abiathar,  after  he  had 
put  on  the  sacred  ornaments  with 
twelve  bells,  entered  into  the  holy 
of  holies,  and  offered  sacrifice;  and 
the  angel  of  God  appeared,  saying, 
Consider  this  smallest  wand  which 
as  naught  thou  hast  regarded.  From 
this  shall  the  sign  be  made  manifest. 
And  that  wand  was  Joseph's. 

Because  he  was  old  and  wretched, 
he  did  not  reclaim  his  wand,  lest  he 

[39] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


ret,  Sed  cum  pontifex  Abiathar 
clamavit:  Venite  et  virgulas  vestras 
recognoscite,  Joseph,  in  corde  ti- 
mens,  manum  tetendit  ut  virgam 
caperet,  et  e  virgula  evolavit  tur- 
turella  albissimis  albior  et  venustate 
splendens  quae  sub  tholis  aliquando 
se  libravit  et  evanuit  in  coelis. 

Tunc  populus  gratulatus  est  Jo- 
seph, at  iste:  Vetulus  sum  et  filios 
habeo.  Cur  mihi  datis  istam  juve- 
nem?  Attamen  accepit  illam;  et, 
cum  ilia,  quinque  virgines  ut  essent 
in  domo  sicut  Mariae  sorores,  Et  vo- 
cabantur  virgines  Rebecca,  Saphora, 
[40] 


T'he  Childhood  of  Christ 


should  receive  Mary.  But  when 
the  high  priest  Abiathar  cried  out, 
Come  and  claim  your  wands, 
Joseph,  fearing  in  his  heart,  stretched 
out  his  hand  to  take  the  wand;  and 
from  the  wand  there  flew  a  young 
turtle-dove,  whiter  than  the  whitest 
and  resplendent  with  beauty;  and  it 
soared  for  a  time  beneath  the  vaults, 
and  vanished  in  the  heavens. 

Then  the  people  congratulated 
Joseph;  but  he  answered,  I  am  an 
old  man,  and  have  sons.  Why  do 
ye  give  me  this  maiden?  Never- 
theless he  received  her  and  with 
her  five  virgins,  to  be  in  his  house 
.  as  sisters  to  Mary.  And  the  virgins 
were   called   Rebecca,  Sephora,  Su- 

[41] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Suzanna,  Abigeia  et  Zahel.  Quibus 
pontifices  serica  dederunt  et  linum 
et  purpuram,  ne  otiosae  manerent. 

Inter  se  sortitae  sunt  virgines  quis 
unicuique  foret  labos  et  sors  Mariam 
elegit  ut  purpuram  texeret.  Aliae 
virgines:  Quomodo  junior  meruit 
purpuram?  Et  ridebant  illam  vir- 
ginum  reginam.  At  Angelus,  auro 
nitidior:  Quod  dixistis  non  risus,  sed 
verum  succedet.  Et  purpura  repente 
manibus  invisis  texta  fuit  in  humero 
virginis  regale  pallium, dum  aves  super 
[4^] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


zanna,  Albigeia  and  Zahel.  And 
the  priests  gave  them  silk  and  linen 
and  purple,  that  they  might  not  re- 
main idle. 

The  virgins  drew  lots  among  them- 
selves for  what  work  should  fall  to 
each;  and  chance  chose  Mary  to 
weave  the  purple.  The  other  virgins 
asked  one  another,  How  hath  the 
youngest  deserved  the  purple?  And 
laughingly  they  called  her  the  queen 
of  virgins.  But  an  angel  more  bril- 
liant than  gold  said  to  them,  What 
ye  have  said  is  no  pleasantry,  but  in 
truth  shall  come  to  pass.  And  sud- 
denly the  purple,  woven  by  unseen 
hands,  was  a  royal  robe  upon  the 
Virgin's  shoulders,  while  birds  held 

[43] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


frontem    ejus    coronam    sustinebant 
adamantinam  stellis  lucidiorem. 

Attamen  Maria,  inspiciens  in  via 
aliquam  vetulam  mendiculis  indu- 
tam,  exiit  domo  et  vetulae  dedit 
pallium. 


[44] 


T'he  Childhood  of  Christ 


above  her  forehead  a  diamond  crown 
brighter  than  the  stars. 

Nevertheless  Mary,  seeing  on  the 
road  a  certain  old  woman  clothed 
in  rags,  went  forth  from  the  house, 
and  gave  the  old  woman  her  robe. 


[45] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  Certium* 


^^gOSEPH,  qui  in  Capharnao 
lignarius  per  sex  menses  la- 


'  boraverat,  rediit  ad  domum 
suam.  Et  gravem  vidit  Mariam.  Et 
gemuit:  Domine,  Domine,  accipe 
spiritum  meum,  nam  mihi  melius 
mori  quam  vivere!  Quomodo  ante 
Deum  me  culpa  purgarem  ?  Hanc 
virginem  e  templo  Domini  accepi, 
et  virginem  non  servavi.  Quis  in 
domo  mea  facinus  patravit  et  corru- 
pit  virginem? 

Et  Joseph  de  pera  se  attollens  in 
quam  se  ejecerat,  dixit  Mariae:  Vir- 

[46] 


T'he  Childhood  of  Christ 


OSEPH,  who  had  worked  in 
Capharnaum  as  a  carpenter 
for  six  months,  returned  to 
his  house.  And  he  saw  that  Mary 
was  with  child.  And  he  moaned, 
Lord,  Lord,  receive  my  spirit;  for  it 
is  better  for  me  to  die  than  to  live! 
How  may  I  purge  myself  of  sin  be- 
fore God  ?  I  received  this  virgin  out 
of  the  temple  of  the  Lord,  and  I 
have  not  kept  her  a  virgin.  Who  in 
my  house  hath  committed  the  crime 
and  sullied  the  virgin? 

And  Joseph,  rising  up   from  the 
sack  on  which  he  had  thrown  himself, 

[47] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


go  tanti  pretii  oculis  Domini,  quae 
cibum  accipiebas  e  manibus  angelo- 
rum,  cur  isto  modo  egisti? 

Tamen  virgines  quae  cum  Maria 
erant :  Scimus  nullus  cognovit  il- 
1am;  nam  a  Deo  servata  fuit  nee 
domo  exiit.  Ipsa  Maria  plorans: 
Munda  sum,  nee  hominem  cognovi. 
Et  Joseph  dixit  eae:  Quomodo  eve- 
nit  ut  gravis  sis?  Maria  respondit: 
Vivat  Dominus  Deus  meus!  nescio 
quomodo  istud  factum  est. 

Hoc   audiens  Joseph   in   animo 
volvebat  an  Mariam  dimitteret.      At 
[48] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


said  unto  Mary,  Virgin  of  so  great 
worth  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  that 
thou  hast  received  thy  food  out  of  the 
hands  of  the  angels,  why  hast  thou 
conducted  thyself  after  this  fashion? 

But  the  virgins  who  were  with  Mary 
said.  We  are  certain  that  no  man  hath 
known  her;  for  she  has  been  kept  of 
God,  and  she  hath  not  gone  forth 
out  of  the  house.  Mary  herself  said 
wailing,  I  am  clean,  and  have  known 
no  man.  And  Joseph  said  unto  her, 
How  is  it  come  to  pass  that  thou  art 
with  child?  Mary  made  answer.  As 
the  Lord  my  God  liveth,  I  know  not 
how  this  thing  hath  been  done. 

Hearing  this,  Joseph  debated  in  his 
mind  whether  he  should  put  Mary 

[49] 


Evangelium  hifantiae 


vox  dulcissima:  Ecce  Patre  et  Spiri- 
tuSancto  volentibusin  ventre  Mariae 
conceptus  fui,  aeternus  Deus,  salva- 
tor  gentium  et  redemptor  peccato- 
rum  mundi. 

Et  vox  erat  partus  in  materna  vir- 
gine.  Et  in  eodem  tempore  per  sil- 
vas  terrae  et  per  desertos  montes, 
omnes  in  integro  ovo  cecinerunt  im- 
plumes  aviculi  et  omnes  in  lateribus 
leaenarum  fremuerunt  suaviter  ca- 
tuli. 

Tunc  Joseph  dixit  Mariae:  Pec- 
cavi,  nam  ad  te  adjunxi  suspicionem. 

[50] 


"The  Childhood  of  Christ 


away.  But  a  very  soft  voice  was 
heard  saying,  Lo,  by  the  will  of  the 
Father  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost  I  have 
been  conceived  in  Mary's  womb, 
Eternal  God,  Saviour  of  the  Nations 
and  Redeemer  of  the  sins  of  the 
world. 

And  it  was  the  voice  of  the  young 
child  within  the  virgin  mother.  And 
at  the  same  time,  through  the  forests 
of  the  earth  and  through  the  desert 
mountains,  all  the  featherless  little 
birds  in  the  unbroken  eggs  sang  aloud, 
and  within  the  flanks  of  the  lioness- 
es all  the  cubs  roared  sweetly. 

Then  Joseph  said  unto  Mary,  I 
have  sinned,  for  I  have  cast  suspicion 
upon  thee.     And  after  these  things, 

[51] 


Rva?tgelium  I?ifa?itiae 


Et  postea  nunquam  ad  sponsam  vir- 
ginem  incessit  nisi  sicut  aram  ventrem 
gravidum  salutaret,  in  quo  Deus  se 
hominem  faciebat. 


[5^-] 


T'he  Childhood  of  Christ 


never  did  he  draw  nigh  unto  his  vir- 
gin v^ife  without  saluting,  like  an  al- 
tar, the  pregnant  womb  in  which  God 
was  making  himself  man. 


ui^. 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  ^uartum. 

N  eo  tempore,  jussit  Augus- 
tus imperator  unumquemque 
inscribi  in  publicis  tabulis  na- 
talis  civitatis;  et  cum  filiis  suis  et 
Maria  Joseph  profectus  est  Bethleem. 
Et  asinam  straverat  et  Maria  in  asina 
sedebat. 

Joseph,  respiciens,  vidit  Mariam 
dolentem  et  ait:  Forte  quod  in  ilia 
est  vexat  illam.  Sed,  iterum  res- 
piciens, vidit  Mariam  ridentem  etait: 
Cur  modo  doles  nunc  rides,  Maria? 
Maria   respondit:    Quia  oculis  duos 

[54] 


'The  Childhood  of  Christ 


T  that  time  the  Emperor  Au- 
gustus decreed  that  every 
man  should  be  inscribed  in 
the  public  archives  of  his  native  city; 
and  Joseph,  with  his  sons  and  with 
Mary,  went  forth  to  Bethlehem.  And 
he  had  saddled  an  ass,  and  Mary  was 
seated  upon  the  ass. 

Joseph  looking  back,  saw  Mary 
grieving,  and  said.  Perchance  that 
which  is  within  her  grieveth  her. 
But  looking  back  once  more,  he  saw 
Mary  laughing,  and  said.  How  is  it 
that  thou  dost  grieve  and  again  laugh, 
Mary?     Mary  answered:    Because  I 

[55] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


video  populos,  unum  lacrymosum  et 
gementem,  alterum  laetantem  et  in 
gaudio  exultantem.  Joseph  dixit  eae: 
Sede  in  asina,  nee  supervacua  emitte 
verba. 

Tunc  aquila  quae  caelum  trans- 
volabat  stetit  alis  apertis,  et  dixit  Jo- 
seph: Cur  supervacuum  existimas 
quod  Maria  emittit  de  hisce  duobus 
populis?  Populum  Israel  lacrymo- 
sum vidit  quia  a  Deo  Domino  suo 
secessit  et  Gentilium  populum  gau- 
dentem  quia  Deo  Domino  suo  pro- 
pinquavit  sicut  patribus  vestris  pro- 
missum  est  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob,  et 
tempus  advenit  ubi  benedictio  in  fa- 

[S6] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


see  with  mine  eyes  two  peoples,  one 
weeping  and  sighing,  the  other 
making  merry  and  exulting  in  joy. 
Joseph  said  to  her.  Sit  still  upon  the 
ass,  and  utter  not  empty  words. 

Then  an  eagle  that  was  flying 
across  the  sky  stopped,  with  out- 
stretched wings,  and  said  to  Joseph, 
Why  deemest  thou  empty  what 
Mary  hath  uttered  concerning  these 
two  peoples?  The  people  Israel  she 
saw  weeping  because  they  have  de- 
parted from  God  their  Lord,  and  the 
people  of  the  Gentiles  rejoicing,  be- 
cause they  have  drawn  nigh  to  the 
Lord  their  God,  as  was  promised 
to  your  fathers,  Abraham,  Isaac,  Ja- 
cob:   and  the  time  cometh  when  His 


[57] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


milia  Abraham  se  extendet  in  omnes 
gentes.  Et  aquila  involavit  ad  di- 
vum  solem. 

Sed  Maria  dixit  Joseph:  Submove 
me  ab  asina,  quod  est  in  me  nimis 
urget.  Et  Joseph  submovit  illam  ab 
asina  et  dixit:  Quo  te  adducam,  nam 
desertus  est  Elocus?  t  adduxit  Ma- 
riam  in  speluncam  tenebrosissimam 
in  quam  lumen  coeli  nunquam  in- 
gressum  est.  Et  Mariae  filium  suum 
reliquit  ut  custodiret  illam,  et  Beth- 
leem  petiit  quaerens  obstetricem. 

Et  incedens  vidit  sistentem  polum 
et  fixas  in  aere  nubes  et  stantes  in 
[SB] 


"The  Childhood  of  Christ 


blessing  upon  the  tribe  of  Abraham 
shall  stretch  forth  over  all  nations. 
And  the  eagle  flew  away  to  the  di- 
vine sun. 

But  Mary  said  to  Joseph,  Lift 
me  down  from  the  ass:  that  which 
is  within  me  distresseth  me  greatly. 
And  Joseph  lifted  her  from  the  ass, 
and  said.  Whither  shall  I  lead  thee; 
for  this  place  is  desert?  And  he 
led  Mary  into  a  very  shadowy  cave 
into  which  the  light  of  heaven  had 
never  entered.  And  he  left  his  son 
with  Mary  to  watch  over,  and  he 
sought  Bethlehem,  asking  for  a  mid- 
wife. 

And  as  he  went,  he  saw  the  pole- 
star  stopped,  and  the  clouds  fixed  in 

[59] 


Evangeiium  Infantiae 


coelo  aves;  et  ventus  tacebat.  Pos- 
tea  in  terrain  lumina  vertens,  vidit 
oUam  pulpamentis  plenam  et  opifi- 
ces  sedentes,  quorum  manus  in  olla 
erant;  sed  jamjam  manducaturi  non 
manducabant  et  manibus  extensis 
nihil  capiebant,  et  omnes  ad  coelum 
oculos  tenebant.  Nee  oves  in  campis 
vadebant,  sed  manebant  immotae ; 
et,  cum  pastores  super  torpescentem 
gregem  sublevabant  pedum,  manus 
eorum  non  se  demittebant;  et  apud 
ilumen  Joseph  vidit  hircos  quorum 
barba  aquam  tangebat,  at  non  bibe- 
bant  hirci.  Nam  coelum  et  terra  et 
omnes  viventes  expectabant. 

[60] 


"The  Childhood  of  Christ 


the  air,  and  the  birds  motionless  in 
the  sky;  and  the  wind  held  its  peace. 
Thereafter,  turning  his  eyes  to  the 
earth,  he  saw  a  bowl  full  of  meats, 
and  laborers  sitting  whose  hands  were 
in  the  bowl,  but  on  the  point  of  eat- 
ing, they  did  not  eat;  and  with  their 
outstretched  hands  they  took  noth- 
ing, and  all  kept  their  eyes  toward 
Heaven;  and  in  the  fields  the  sheep 
wandered  not,  but  remained  motion- 
less; and  when  the  shepherds  raised 
their  staves  over  the  dozing  herd, 
their  hands  did  not  fall;  and  at  a 
river,  Joseph  saw  rams  whose  beards 
touched  the  water,  but  the  rams 
drank  not.  For  heaven  and  earth 
and  all  living  things  were  waiting, 

[6i] 


Evangelium  hifantiae 


Joseph  regressus  est  ad  speluncam, 
et  cum  eo  veniebant  duae  obstetrices, 
una  nomine  Zelemi,  altera  nomine 
Salome.  Et  tota  spelunca  caelesti 
lumine  splendebat,  nam  Maria  jam 
genuerat  puerum,  et  volitantesangeli 
Stellas  et  rosas  effundebant  in  sinum 
Mariae  in  quo  ridebat  mirabilis  in- 
fans.  Et  Stella  ingens,  a  vespere  usque 
ad  mane,  splendebat  super  spelun- 
cam;  cujus  magnitudo  nunquam  visa 
fuerat  ab  origine  mundi. 


[6.] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


Joseph  returned  to  the  cave;  and 
with  him  came  two  midwives,  one 
Zalemi  by  name,  and  the  other  Sa- 
lome. And  the  whole  cave  was  re- 
splendant  with  heavenly  light ;  for 
Mary  had  already  brought  forth  the 
boy,  and  flying  angels  scattered  stars 
and  roses  on  Mary's  breast  where  the 
w^ondrous  child  lay  laughing.  And 
a  burning  star  shone  over  the  cave, 
from  evening  even  unto  morning; 
and  never  since  the  beginning  of  the 
w^orld  had  so  great  a  star  been  seen. 


[63] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  :©uintum* 

T  ridebat  divus  puer  in  ulnis 
Mariae,  et  adorabant  angeli, 
et  pastores  venere  qui  testas 
lactis  portabant  et  florum  herbarum- 
que  fascicules;  et  dixerunt:  Ecce 
agnus  novellus,  qui  pastores  mittet 
in  pascua  salutis, 

Et  numerosus  tumultus  circa  spe- 
luncam  sonavit,  sicut  camelorum  et 
servorum  agitantium  arma  et  salta- 
torum  qui  sufflant  in  tubas  et  sistrant 
vel  cymbalizant.  Nam  ex  ultimo 
[64] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


ND  the  divine  boy  lay  laugh- 
ing in  Mary's  arms;  and  the 
angels  worshipped  him;  and 
there  came  shepherds  carrying  pots 
of  milk  and  bunches  of  flowers  and 
of  herbs;  and  they  said,  Lo,  the  new- 
born lamb  that  shall  lead  the  shep- 
herds into  the  pastures  of  salva- 
tion! 

And  around  the  cave  resounded 
a  numerous  tumult,  as  of  camels  and 
of  servants  shaking  weapons  and  bells, 
and  of  dancers  who  blow  in  trum- 
pets and  play  on  sistrums  or  cymbals. 
For  forth  from  the  farthest  Orient  the 

[65] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Oriente  orientes,  accurrebant  reges 
Magi  quos  duxit  sideris  signum. 

Et  interrogabant :  Ubi  rex  qui 
nobis  natus  est,  ut  eum  adoremus  ? 
Et  divae  Mariae  munera  obtulerunt, 
unus  auri,  alius  thuris,  et  myrrhae  ter- 
tius;  sed  unigenito  dabant  pupas  se- 
rico  vestitas  et  minimas  diadematum 
imagines  sceptraque  minuta  et  thro- 
nes exiguos,  ut  eis  crepundiis  gaude- 
ret  infans  hominum  dominus  et 
diadematum,  sceptrorum  throno- 
rumque  debellator. 


[66] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


royal  Magi  were  hastening,  led  by  the 
sign  of  the  star. 

And  they  asked:  Where  is  the 
king  who  is  born  to  us,  that  we  may 
worship  him  ?  And  to  the  divine 
Mary  they  offered  gifts,  one  of  gold, 
another  of  frankincense,  and  the  third 
of  myrrh;  but  to  the  only  begotten 
Son  they  gave  dolls  arrayed  in  silk, 
and  very  small  images  of  diadems, 
and  little  sceptres  and  tiny  thrones, 
that  the  child,  lord  of  men  and  sub- 
duer  of  sceptres  and  thrones,  might 
delight  in  these  playthings. 


[67] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  ^ertum* 

TTAMEN,  cum  rex  Hero- 
des  audivit  Filium  Dei  regem 
Judaeorum  natum  esse  in 
spelunca  apud  Bethleem,  jussitut  in- 
terficerentur  omnes  novelli  masculi 
in  Bethleem  et  in  vicinis.  At  Angelus 
Domini  in  somno  Joseph  apparuit, 
dicens:  Accipe  Mariam  et  Jesum 
et  trans  desertum  abi  ad  terram 
Aegypti,   Et  profecti  sunt. 

Advenerunt  paulo  ante  noctem  in 
locum  intra  duos  montes,  quem  solis 
furibus  dicebant  hospitalem;  et  cum 
[68] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


lEVERTHELESS,  when  He- 
rod the  king  heard  that  the 
Son  of  God,  King  of  the 
Jews,  was  born  in  a  cave  at  Bethlehem, 
he  decreed  that  all  newly  born  men- 
children,  in  Bethlehem  and  round 
about,  should  be  slain.  But  the  angel 
of  the  Lord  appeared  to  Joseph  in  his 
sleep,  saying.  Take  Mary  and  Jesus, 
and  flee  across  the  desert  into  the 
land  of  Egypt.  And  they  departed. 
A  little  before  night  they  came  to  a 
place,  between  two  mountains,  which 
men  said  was  hospitable  to  robbers 
only.   And  there  was  a  virgin  with 

[69] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Maria  in  asina  sedente  et  in  sinu  fili- 
olum  ferente,  una  virgo  erat,  et  cum 
Joseph  qui  pedibus  ibat  tres  juvenes 
erant. 

Intremuerunt  peregrini  propter 
famosum  locum  intra  montes  et  du- 
bitabant  an  iter  in  tenebris  seque- 
rentur.  Tunc  loquens  Infans:  Ne 
timeatis,  nam  contra  fures  nobis  erit 
comitatus  fortior  regum  praesidio. 
Et,  in  brachiis  Virginis,  puerili  voce 
et  labiis  vixagitatis,imitatusestlevem 
garritum  hirundinis  quae  hirundines 
ut  veniant  appellat. 

Non  venerunt  aviculi,  sed  e  mon- 
[70] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


Mary,  who,  seated  upon  an  ass,  was 
holding  the  little  Son  at  her  breast; 
and  with  Joseph,  who  went  on  foot, 
there  were  three  young  men. 

The  wayfarers  trembled  because 
of  this  ill-famed  place  between  the 
mountains,  and  they  knew  not 
whether  they  should  continue  their 
journey  in  the  darkness.  Then  the 
child  spake,  saying.  Be  not  afraid, 
for  against  robbers  we  shall  have  an 
escort  stronger  than  a  King's  guard. 
And  in  his  childish  voice,  and  with 
lips  hardly  moving,  he  imitated,  in 
the  Virgin's  arms,  the  light  note  of 
swans  calling  other  swans  to  draw 
near. 

No    birds   drew  near;    but   forth 

[71] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


tium  speluncis  et  nigris  sentibus  orti, 
et  latrantes  et  frementes  et  atrocem 
gulam  aperientes,  lupi,  leones  dra- 
conesque  qui  oculis  flammas  ejicie- 
bant.  Et  tremuerant  Joseph  et  Maria 
et  juvenes  qui  cum  eo  erant  et  virgo 
qui  cum  ea  erat.  Sed  bestiis  arrisit 
Infans  et  dixit  illis:  Adorate  Domi- 
num  Coeli,  qui  estis  in  terra,  lupi, 
leones  draconesque. 

Et  adoraverunt  ilium.  Et  intra 
montes  sequebantur  peregrinos  ne 
fures  eos  vexarent,  et  intermisceban- 
tur  amici  bovibus  et  asinis  et  ovibus 
etiam  quos  Maria  et  Joseph  secum 

[72] 


T'he  Childhood  of  Christ 


from  mountain  caves  and  black  paths, 
barkingand  roaring  and  opening  their 
frightful  mouths,  came  wolves,  lions 
and  dragons,  that  darted  flames  from 
their  eyes.  And  Joseph  and  Mary 
quaked,  and  the  young  men  that  were 
with  him,  and  the  virgin  that  was  with 
her.  But  the  child  smiled  upon  the 
beasts,  and  said  to  them.  Worship 
the  Lord  of  Heaven,  ye  wolves,  lions, 
and  dragons  that  are  upon  earth. 

And  they  worshipped  him.  And 
they  followed  the  wayfarers  between 
the  mou  n  tains,  lest  robbers  should  vex 
them;  and  they  mingled  in  friendly 
wise  with  the  cows  and  the  asses  and 
the  sheep  also,  which  Joseph  and  Mary 
had  led  forth  with  them  out  of  their 


[73] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


e  terra  patriae  adduxerant;  nee  no- 
cebant  feroces  teneris  et  lea  ubera 
praebuit  agnellae  cujus  mater  prop- 
ter viae  laborem  occiderat. 

Hoc  modo  perfectum  est  quod 
propheta  nuntiaverat:  Lupi  pascent 
in  agnorum  pascuis;  bos  et  leo  ejus- 
dem  coenae  socii  erunt. 

Vero,tertio  die  itineris,  Maria  lan- 
guebat  in  deserto  propter  majorem 
solis  ardorem,  et  aspiciens  palmam, 
dixit  Joseph:  Sistamus,  homo,  si  pla- 
cet, sub  illius  arboris  umbra.  Joseph 
duxit  illam  sub  umbram  et,  ex  asina 
descensa,    Maria,   sedens    in    herbis, 

[74] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


own  country;  and  the  wild  beasts  did 
no  hurt  to  the  tender  ones,  and  a 
lioness  offered  her  teats  to  a  lamb 
whose  mother  had  died  from  the  pains 
of  the  road. 

Thus  was  fulfilled  what  theprophet 
had  made  known:  Wolves  shall 
browse  in  the  sheep's  pastures:  the 
ox  and  the  lion  shall  sup  together. 

Now,  on  the  third  day  of  their 
journey,  Mary  languished  in  the  des- 
ert because  of  the  sun's  extreme  heat; 
and  seeing  a  palm,  she  said  to  Joseph, 
If  it  please  thee,  husband,  let  us  halt 
in  the  shadow  of  this  tree.  Joseph  led 
her  into  the  shadow;  and  when  she 
had  come  down  from  the  ass,  and  was 
seated  on  the  ground,  Mary  saw  the 

[75] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


aspexit  palmae  culmen  quod  fructi- 
bus  grave  erat  et  ait:  Utinam  unum 
e  fructibus  illis  manducare  possem! 
At  Joseph:  Cur,  ir  go,  talia  locuta 
es,  cum  istius  palmae  in  alto  aere 
rami  vacillant?  Mihi  est  urgentior 
cura,  nam  nee  in  vasibus  nee  in  utri- 
bus  manet  aquae  gutta  et  nescio 
quomodo  se  explebitur  sitis  nostra. 

Haec  audiens  Jesus  infans  qui  in 
sinu  Virginis  Mariae  ridebat,  locutus 
est  palmae:  Arbor,  incurva  ramos 
et  fructibus  tuis  satia  matrem 
meam. 

Statim  palma  incurvavit  culmen 
suum  usque  ad  Mariae  pedes;  et  om- 
nes  manducaverunt  fructus.  At  palma 

[76] 


T'he  Childhood  of  Christ 


top  of  the  palm  heavy  with  fruit,  and 
she  said,  Would  that  I  might  eat  of 
one  of  those  fruits.  But  Joseph  asked 
of  her.  Why,  Virgin,  dost  thou  say 
such  things,when  the  branches  of  that 
palm  wave  high  in  the  air?  I  have  a 
more  pressing  trouble,  for  neither  in 
the  pitchers  nor  in  the  skins  is  a  drop 
of  water  left,  and  I  know  not  how 
our  thirst  may  be  quenched. 

Hearing  these  things,  the  child 
Jesus,  who  lay  laughing  on  the  Virgin 
Mary's  breast,  said  to  the  palm.  Bend 
down  thy  branches,  tree,  and  content 
my  mother  with  thy  fruits. 

Straightway  the  palm  bent  down 
its  top  even  unto  Mary's  feet;  and 
all  ate  of  its  fruit.   But  the  palm  re- 

[77] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


incurvata  manebat,  exspectans,  ut  se 
erigeret,  vocem  Domini. 

Et  Jesus:  Subleva  te,  palma,et  so- 
cia  esto  mearum  arborum  quae  sunt 
in  Paradiso  patris  mei;  sed  e  radici- 
bus  tuis  surgat  fons  in  terra  abscon- 
dita  ut  aqua  sit  nobis  qua  nostra  sitis 
expleatur.  Et  se  levavit  palma,  et, 
se  solo  evellens,  evolavit,  ramis  sicut 
alis  extensis,  ad  Coelum  Domini.  Et 
ex  cavis  ubi  fuere  radices  exsilierunt 
et  fluerunt  fontes  quorum  aqua  cla- 
rior  erat  liquido  adamante  et  dulcior 
melle  monticolarum  apium. 
[78] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


mained  bent,  waiting  for  the  voice  of 
the  Lord  before  raising  itself  up. 

And  Jesus  said,  Lift  thyself  up, 
palm,  and  be  a  companion  to  my 
trees  which  are  in  my  Father's  Para- 
dise; but  from  thy  roots  let  a  spring, 
hidden  in  the  earth,  flow  forth,  that 
we  may  have  water  wherewith  our 
thirst  may  be  quenched.  And  the 
palm  lifted  itself  up,  and  tore  itself 
from  the  soil,  and  with  its  branches 
spread  like  wings,  flew  away  to  the 
Lord's  heaven.  And  from  the  hollow 
where  the  roots  had  been,  springs 
leapt  forth  and  flowed;  and  their 
water  was  clearer  than  liquid  dia- 
monds, and  sweeter  than  the  honey 
of  mountain  bees. 


[79] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  ^epttmum* 

lOSTEA  ingressi  sunt  in  ur- 
bem  famosissimam  divitiis 
incolarum  et  palatiorum 
splendore.  Et  Infante  volente,  lupi, 
leones  draconesque  per  desertum  eva- 
sere  ne  cives  terrerent;  nam  magna 
pars  ignorant  quantum  sit  dulcitu- 
dinis  in  ferarum  animis. 

Et  in  hacce  civitate  erat  eo  tem- 
pore aliqua  mulier  daemoniaca, 
quam  fugiebant  pueri,  feminae  ho- 
mines etiamque.  Olim  cum,  nocte 
ascendente,aquam  hauriebat  e  puteo 

[80] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


FTER  these  things  they  en- 
tered into  a  city  very  famous 
for  the  riches  of  its  inhabi- 
tants and  the  splendor  of  its  palaces. 
And  by  the  Child's  will,  the  wolves, 
lions  and  dragons  fled  away  through 
the  desert,  lest  they  should  frighten 
the  citizens;  for  many  know  not  how 


y 


much  gentleness  dwells  in  the  souls 
of  wild  beasts. 

And  at  that  time  there  was  in  the 
city  a  certain  woman  possessed  of  a 
devil;  and  boys  and  women  fled  from 
her,  and  men  also.  Once  while  at  twi- 
light she  was  drawing  water  from  her 

[8i] 


Evangelium  Infanttae 


horti,  nomini  Domini  maledixerat 
quia  situlus  de  manibus  ceciderat; 
et  malus  Spiritus  in  earn  sese  immi- 
serat  per  OS  apertum;  et  nunc  furiosa 
vagabatur  per  urbem,  damans,  bra- 
chia  torquens,  crinibus  erectis,  et 
nudam  carnem  propriis  dentibus  la- 
cerans. 

Nee  in  domo  habitabat,  et  vincu- 
lis  evadebat,  et  per  vias  errabat  et 
nunquam  sedebat,  nisi  in  coemeteriis 
super  petram  sepulturarum;  et  non- 
nulli  viderunt  eam  sub  luna  juxta 
tumulos  violatos  sese  pascentem  tabe 
quae  inhaeret  recentium  mortuorum 
ossibus. 

[8a] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


garden  well,  she  had  blasphemed 
the  name  of  the  Lord,  because  the 
pail  had  slipped  from  her  hands;  and 
an  evil  spirit  had  dashed  into  her  by 
her  open  mouth;  and  now,  with  hair 
on  end,  she  roved  furiously  through 
the  city,  crying  aloud,  waving  her 
arms,  and  tearing  her  bare  flesh  with 
her  own  teeth. 

And  she  dwelt  not  in  any  house; 
and  she  escaped  from  chains,  and 
wandered  through  the  streets,  and 
never  rested,  save  on  tombstones  in 
graveyards;  and  some  saw  her  by 
moonlight,  near  violated  tombs,  sat- 
ing herself  with  the  foulness  which 
clings  to  the  bones  of  men  not  long 
dead. 


[83] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Cum  istam  daemoniacam  vidisset, 
Virgo  Maria  miserta  est  et  filio 
dixit:  Quoniam  bestias  montium 
subjicis,  filiole  mi,  cur  non  istam 
daemoniacam  mulierem  placares  ? 
Et  subrisit  Jesus  dicens :  Fiat  volun 
tas  tua,  virgo  mater;  voca  vesanam 
feminam  et  me  tenerum  in  ejus  bra- 
chia  impone  ut  sanescat.  At  mater 
tremuit.  Tunc  Jesus:  Dolorosa  Dei 
genitrix,  innumerabilia  mala  propter 
me  tibi  promissa  sunt;  et  flebis  et 
lugebis  et  videbis  crucifixum  corpus 
[84] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


When  she  had  seen  this  woman 
possessed  of  a  devil,  the  Virgin  Mary 
took  pity  on  her,  and  said  to  her  son, 
Since  thou  makest  the  beasts  of  the 
mountain  subject  to  thee,  my  little 
son,  why  dost  thou  not  pacify  this 
woman  possessed  of  a  devil?  And 
Jesus  smiled,  saying.  Thy  will  be 
done.  Virgin  Mother;  call  this  wild 
woman,  and  tender  as  I  am,  place 
me  in  her  arms,  that  she  may  be 
healed.  But  his  mother  trembled. 
Then  said  Jesus,  Sorrowful  mother 
of  God,  numberless  ills  are  promised 
thee  because  of  me;  and  thou  shalt 
weep  and  mourn,  and  this  body  born 
of  thee,  thou  shalt  see  crucified.  Be- 
come acquainted  already  with  peril 

[B5] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


nati  tui;  jam  periculum  et  terrorem 
et  tristitiam  disce,  mater  mea! 

Et  filiolo  obedivit  Maria  Virgo. 
In  furiosae  brachia  daemoniacae  In- 
fantem  imposuit  pallida  et  tremens. 
Et  mulier  Jesum  corripuit  sicut  tigris 
orygem  et  gaudens  fremebat.  At 
parvis  digitis  Jesus  daemoniacae 
frontem  blanditus  est  et  basio  oculos 
ejus  lente  delibavit. 

Statim  furiosa  subrisit  infanti  et 

pax  erat  in  ilia  et  ex  ore  operto  ut 

Dominum   laudaret    evasit   malus 

spiritus  in-formae   porci   aligeri,   et 

[86] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


and  with   terror  and  with  anguish, 
my  mother! 

And  the  Virgin  Mary  obeyed  her 
little  son.  Pale  and  trembling,  she 
placed  the  Child  in  the  wild  arms 
of  the  woman  possessed  of  a  devil. 
And  the  woman  seized  on  Jesus  as 
a  tiger  on  a  gazelle,  and  she  roared 
rejoicing.  And  Jesus  with  his  lit- 
tle fingers  caressed  the  forehead  of 
the  woman  possessed  of  a  devil,  and 
slowly  he  touched  her  eyes  with 
a  kiss. 

Straightway  the  furious  woman 
smiled  on  the  Child,  and  within  her 
was  peace;  and  from  her  mouth,  as 
she  opened  it  to  praise  the  Lord,  the 
evil  spirit  escaped  in  the  shape  of  a 

[87] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


clamabat:  Vaemihi!  Vae  mihi  prop- 
ter te,  Maria,  et  propter  filium  tuum. 

Attamen  salvata  mulier  rediit  in 
domum  suam  et  vestes  induit  et  di- 
cebat  civibus:  Filius  Dei  a  me  dae- 
monem  evulsit  sicut  hortulanus  e 
solo  malam  herbam  rejicit;  et  flos 
salutis  in  me  floret  dulcis  et  aeter- 
nus. 

Quod  audientes,  veniebant  ad 
puerum  daemoniaci  et  infirmi  et 
paralytici  ut  sani  fierent.  At  puer 
respondebat:    Quoniam,  Filius  Dei, 

infans  sum  adhuc,  matri  obedio  et 
[88] 


T^he  Childhood  of  Christ 


winged  pig,  and  it  cried  out,  Woe  is 
me,  woe  is  me,  Mary,  because  of  thee 
and  of  thy  Son! 

Nevertheless  the  woman  that  was 
saved  returned  into  her  house,  and 
put  on  her  garments,  and  said  ta 
the  citizens,  The  Son  of  God  hath 
torn  the  demon  from  out  of  me  as 
a  gardener  casts  out  weeds  from 
the  soil;  and  the  flower  of  salva- 
tion blooms  within  me,  sweet  and 
eternal. 

And  hearing  this  thing,  men  pos- 
sessed of  devils,  and  the  halt,  and  the 
stricken  came  to  the  Boy  to  be  made 
whole.  But  the  Boy  answered.  Since 
I,  the  Son  of  God,  am  as  yet  a  child, 
I  am  obedient  to  my  mother,  and  I 

[B9] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


sanabo  quos  volet  sanatos  esse.  Et 
omnes  sanabantur,  nam  bona  Virgo 
volebat. 


[90] 


T'he  Childhood  of  Christ 


will  make  whole  those  whom  she 
wills  shall  be  made  whole.  And  all 
were  made  whole,  for  the  kind  Vir- 
gin willed  it. 


[91] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  €)ctabum^ 

T  fama  erat  per  totam  gen- 
tem  divi  infantis  qui  aegros 
sanabat  et  daemoniacos  libe- 
rabat;  et  advenerunt  Jesus  et  Maria 
cum  Joseph  in  urbe  vicina  in  qua 
cives  festum  agitabant  propter  nup- 
tias  regis.  Nam  puellam  divitissimam 
et  venustissimam  rex  uxorem  elege- 
rat.  Et  illam  vehementer  diligebat. 
At  cum  ad  thalamum  eam  duxisset 
et  cum  ilia  loqui  coepissit,  ut  mos 
est   amantium,  sponsa    sponso    non 

[9^] 


ET  STATIM  MUTA  LOCUTA  EST. 


AND  STRAIGHTWAY  THE  DUMB  SPAKE. 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


ND  the  fame  of  the  Divine 
Child  who  healed  the  sick 
and  delivered  them  that 
were  possessed  of  devils  went  forth 
through  the  whole  nation;  and  Jesus 
and  Mary,  with  Joseph,  came  to  a 
neighboring  city  where  the  citizens 
were  holding  a  feast  because  of  their 
King's  wedding.  For  the  King  had 
chosen  as  his  wife  a  very  rich  and 
beautiful  maiden,  and  was  greatly  in- 
clined toward  her.  But  when  he  had 
led  her  to  the  bed-chamber  and  had 
begun  to  talk  with  her  after  the 
manner  of  lovers,  the  wife  made  no 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


respondit  quia  muta  facta  erat.  Et 
rex  sese  conflictabat  quod  sibi  caram 
vocem  non  licebat  audire;  et  male- 
ficio  daemonis  muta  erat  uxor. 

Vero  mulier  serva  dixit  regi:  Cur 
non  Jesum  infantem  Dei  filium  ad 
te  vocas  ut  sanet  uxorem  tuam?  Et 
placuit  regi  Jesum  vocare;  et  voca- 
tus  apparuit  infans  in  ulnis  Mariae. 
At  eum  videns,  rex  flebiliter  risit: 
Quomodo  isto  puello  tenero  in  sinu 
matris  fortes  propellere  fas  esset  dae- 
mones,  et  qua  potestate  verbum  mu- 
tis  daret? 

[96] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


answer  to  her  husband,  for  she  had 
been  struck  dumb.  And  the  King 
was  greatly  troubled  because  he 
might  not  hear  her  beloved  voice; 
and  it  was  through  an  ill  deed  of 
the  devil  that  his  spouse  was  dumb. 
Now,  a  serving  woman  said  to  the 
King,  Why  dost  thou  not  call  unto 
thee  the  child  Jesus,  Son  of  God,  to 
make  thy  wife  whole  ?  And  it  pleased 
the  King  to  call  Jesus;  and  the  Child, 
when  he  was  called,  appeared  in 
Mary's  arms.  But  seeing  him,  the 
King  mocked  mournfully.  How 
should  it  be  possible  for  this  tender 
child  at  his  mother's  breast  to  drive 
out  strong  devils :  and  by  what  power 
should  he  give  speech  to  the  dumb? 

[97] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Apud  thalamum  autem  aviarium 
erat  in  quo  volitabant  pipilabantque 
multi  aviculi;  et  cum  ad  eos  Jesus 
dextram  porrexisset,  aviculi  statim, 
vocem  humanam  mittentes,  coeper- 
untcanere  laudes  miraculosi  infantis, 
dicentes:  Ecce  filium  Dei  animarum 
aucupem,  qui  animas  capit  ut  ex 
aviario  peccati  ad  salutem  evolent! 

Et  Jesus  regi  locutus  est:  Nonne 
mutis  vocem  reddet  qui  verbum  de- 
dit  avibus? 

Tunc  rex  credidit  in  ilium;  et 
Jesus:  Die  quod  verbum  primo  ex 
[98] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


Near  the  bedroom,  moreover,  was 
a  bird-cage  wherein  many  small  birds 
were  flying  and  chirping;  and  when 
Jesus  stretched  out  unto  them  his 
right  hand,  the  birds,  giving  utter- 
ance straightway  with  human  voices, 
began  to  sing  the  praises  of  the  mirac- 
ulous child,  saying,  Behold  the  Son 
of  God,  snarer  of  souls,  who  taketh 
souls  that  they  may  fly  from  the  cage 
of  sin  unto  salvation! 

And  Jesus  said  to  the  King,  Shall 
He  not  give  back  utterance  to  the 
dumb,  who  hath  given  speech  to 
birds  ? 

Then  the  King  believed  in  him: 
and  Jesus  said.  Speak,  What  word 
chooseth  thou  to  hear  first  from  thy 

[99] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


ore  uxoris  audire  optes?  Rex  respon- 
dit:  Quod  verbum  e  carissimo  ore 
conjugis  primo  audire  optarem,  nisi 
nomen  meum  amatorie  prolatum? 
At  divus  infans  ira  incensus:  Vae 
tibi  qui  nomen  Domini  patris  mei 
ex  muto  ore  primo  audire  non  op- 
tavisti!  Et  muta  manebit  conjux 
nee  unquam  tibi  amatorie  loquetur. 
Et  frustra  rex  flevit,  manus  supplices 
porrigens,  et  oculi  infantis  flammas 
fulgure  terribiliores  ejiciebant;  et 
erat  sub  tecto  sicut  incendium. 
At   Virgo   Maria  flentis   miserta: 

[lOO] 


T*he  Childhood  of  Christ 


wife's  mouth?  The  King  answered, 
What  word  should  I  choose  to  hear 
first  from  my  spouse's  very  dear 
mouth  saving  my  own  name  uttered 
lovingly?  But  the  Divine  Child, 
burning  with  anger,  answered  him, 
Woe  unto  thee  who  didst  not  choose 
to  hear  first  from  the  mouth  of  the 
dumb,  the  name  of  the  Lord  my 
Father!  And  dumb  shall  thy  wife  re- 
main, nor  shall  she  ever  talk  lovingly 
to  thee.  And  the  King  wept  in  vain, 
stretching  out  his  hands  in  supplica- 
tion; and  the  Child's  eyes  shot  out 
flames  more  terrible  than  lighting; 
and  beneath  the  roof  it  was  as  if  there 
were  fire. 

But  the  Virgin  Mary,  taking  pity 

[lOl] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Cur,  filiole,  tantam  iram  contra 
huncce  hominem  ostendis?  mos  est 
amantium  amatorium  verbum  uxoris 
qualicumque  verbo  anteponere;  et 
subrisit  eis  Dominus  misericors.  Et 
Jesus:  Fiat  voluntus  tua,  mater,  in 
qua  est  cor  dulce.  Et  statim  muta 
locuta  est,  dicens  nomen  conjugis. 

Et  in  scalis  regiae  domus,  servi 
et  servae  qui  sequebantur  Jesum  in 
bracchiis  Mariae  discedentem,  inter 
sedicebant:  Ecce  filium  Domini  Dei 
quo  sponsae  amatoria  verba  profe- 
runt  in  thalamo  nuptiarum. 
[102] 


"The  Childhood  of  Christ 


on  him  that  wept,  asked,  Why  little 
son,  showest  thou  such  anger  against 
this  man  ?  It  is  the  wont  of  lovers  to 
prefer  a  loving  word  from  their  wives 
to  all  other  words  whatsoever;  and 
our  merciful  Lord  smiles  upon  them. 
And  Jesus  answered,Thy  will  bedone, 
mother,  whose  heart  is  gentle.  And 
straightway  the  dumb  spake,  saying 
her  husband's  name. 

And  on  the  stairways  of  the  royal 
dwelling,  the  men-servants  and  the 
maid-servants,  who  followed  Jesus 
as  he  went  down  in  Mary's  arms, 
said  among  themselves,  Lo,  the  Son 
of  the  Lord  God,  through  whom 
wives  pronounce  loving  words  in  the 
wedding  bed-chamber! 


[103] 


Evangelium  Infanttae 


Caput  il^onum* 

ERSAEPE,  dum  vel  in  her- 

bis  viae  vel  sub  hospitali 
tecto  agricolae  vel  in  regum 
palatiis  dormitabant  Maria  et  Joseph, 
non  dormitabat  Jesus  infans;  et  de 
gremio  matris  sese  amotens,  per 
campos  aut  sylvas  ibat,  oblectatus 
nunc  luce  cicendularum  intra  folia, 
nunc  lusciniolarum  cantu,  nunc  fon- 
tis  susurro  in  rupe  decliva. 

Et  quadam  nocte  sub  luna  sede- 
bat;  et  tres  angeli  e  coelo  descende- 
[104] 


CAaiOX     SCHWAgE 


''''lf,7T'-^'''^#f 


ALTER  ALTERO  SICUT  PILAS  SIDERA  JACIEBAT. 


1  ) 


Mwm 


ONE  TO  ANOTHER  THEY  THREW,  LIKE  BALLS,  THE 
STARS  OF  THE  FIRMAMENT. 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


HERY  often,  while  Mary  and 
Joseph  were  sleeping  either 
in  the  grass  on  the  road, 
or  under  the  roof  of  an  hospitable 
farmer,  or  in  the  palaces  of  kings, 
the  Child  Jesus  did  not  sleep;  and 
leaving  his  mother's  lap,  went 
through  the  fields  or  the  woods,  de- 
lighted, now  by  the  light  of  the  fire- 
flies among  the  leaves,  now  by  the 
song  of  the  nightingales,  now  by  the 
murmur  of  waters  on  a  steep  rock. 

And  on  a  certain  night  he  sat  be- 
neath the  moon;  and  three  angels 
came  down  from  heaven;    and  they 

[107] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


runt;  et  cum  Jesu  infante,  infantes 
ipsi,  loquebantur  et  jocabantur  ut 
mos  est  puellorum. 

At  eis  crepundia  erant  quae  non 
sunt  terrestrium  filiolis;  nam  alter 
altero  sicut  pilas  sidera  jaciebat  quae 
e  firmamento  attulerant  angeli  aut 
sese  quatuor  manibus  apprehenden- 
tes  salatorium  orbem  vertebant;  aut 
jocum  agebant  plumas  angelicarum 
alarum  numerare,  et  pretium  joci, 
numerante  Jesu,  erat  cui  nullam 
plumam  in  iteribus  per  coelos  aut 
stellarum  flamma  cesserat  aut  ami- 
serat  ventis  abyssi. 

At  inter  jocos  Jesus  interrogans: 
[io8] 


"The  Childhood  of  Christ 


themselves  children,  they  talked  and 
played  with  the  Child  Jesus  after  the 
manner  of  young  children. 

But  they  had  playthings  which  the 
little  sons  of  men  have  not;  for  one 
to  another  they  threw,  like  balls, 
stars  which  the  angels  had  brought 
from  the  firmament;  or  taking  each 
other  all  four  by  the  hand,  they 
turned  in  a  dancing  circle;  or  they 
played  the  game  of  counting  the 
feathers  in  their  angelic  wings;  and 
when  Jesus  counted,  the  prize  in  the 
game  was  his,  who  on  his  journey 
through  the  heavens  had  burnt  in  the 
flame  of  the  stars,  or  dropped  in  the 
winds  of  the  abyss,  no  single  feather. 

But  between  the  games  Jesus  asked 

[109] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Quomodo  Pater  meus  dum  in  me 
partitus  et  totus  humane  puerascit, 
in  regno  coeli  mecum  toto  et  partito 
divine  viget  ?  Et  qualem  sortem  coe- 
lestium  et  terrestrium  in  Filio  hu- 
manus,  in  Patre  divinus,  cogitat 
aeternus  in  duobus  Spiritus  sanctus? 
At,  modo  ludi,  ita  loquebatur;  scie- 
bat  enim  aeterne  quodcumque  fuit 
erat  eritique  Pater,  Filius  et  Spiritus 
in  uno. 

Et  docebat  angelos:  Regnabat 
olim  in  longinqua  regione  rex  potens 
sapiensque  cui  providentissimus 
minister  erat  et  dilectissimus  filius. 
Et  filius  abiit  ut  per  gentes  longe 
[no] 


T^he  Childhood  of  Christ 


them,  While  my  father,  divided  and 
yet  whole,  waxeth  humanly  in  me  a 
boy,  how,  one  and  yet  divided,  can 
He  flourish  with  me  divinely  in  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  ?  And  what  fate 
for  things  celestial  and  terrestrial  doth 
the  Holy  Ghost,  human  in  the  Son, 
divine  in  the  Father,  meditate  in  both 
eternal?  But  it  was  in  sport  that  he 
so  spake;  for  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Ghost  in  one.  He  knew  eternally 
whatever  had  been,  was,  and  shall  be. 
And  he  taught  the  angels,  saying, 
There  reigned  once,  in  a  far  coun- 
try, a  wise  and  mighty  King  who  had 
a  minister  of  great  foresight  and  a 
very  dear  son.  And  the  son  went 
forth  to  journey  far  and  wide  among 

[III] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


lateque  peregrinaretur.  Et  dicebant 
regis  amici:  Sine  dubio  magna  tristi- 
tia  torquetur  genitor  quoniam  uni- 
genitus  abiit  et  nescimus  qua  ratione 
illi  permisit  iter.  At  pater  non  dole- 
bat  splendens  in  pace  gloriae  suae 
et  juxta  thronum  providens  minister 
sedebat  contentus.  Et  terris  ubi  filius 
peregrinabatur  venerunt  nuntii 
tristiores  casus  nuntiantes;  inops  et 
infirmis  divitibus  praepotentibusque 
invisus  languebat  sicut  per  inimicos 
natus  regis;  et  soli  ei  coenam  offere- 
bant  qui  panem  vix  habebant  et  soli 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


the  nations.  And  the  King's  friends 
said,  Without  doubt  the  father  will 
be  tormented  with  grief  because  his 
his  only  begotten  son  hath  gone 
hence,  and  we  know  not  for  what 
reason  he  hath  granted  him  this 
journey.  Yet  the  father  mourned 
not,  resplendent  in  his  glory's  peace. 
And  hard  by  his  throne  the  minis- 
ter of  great  foresight  sat  well  con- 
tented. And  from  the  lands  where 
his  son  was  journeying  came  messen- 
gers, bearing  grievous  news;  poor 
and  weak,  hateful  to  the  rich  and 
most  mighty,  the  King's  son  was 
languishing  as  if  among  enemies; 
and  those  only  offered  him  meat 
who   hardly  had  bread;    and  those 


Evangeltum  Infantiae 


ei  hospitium  praebebant  quibus 
domus  sine  tecto  erat,  et  soli  eum 
defendebant  qui  nemine  defende- 
bantur.  Regis  amici  dicebant:  Malae 
res  regi  nuntiantur.  At  pater  non 
dolebat,  splendens  in  pace  gloriae 
suae  et  juxta  thronum  providens 
minister  sedebat  contentus.  Et  terris 
ubi  filius  peregrinabatur  venerunt 
nuntii  tristiores  casus  nuntiantes. 
Judices  sicut  furem  et  maleficum 
filium  regis  condemnaverant,  et  in 
carcerem  ejecerant,  et  ab  ipsis  deser- 
tus  qui  nuper  eum  amabant  seque- 
banturque,  nihil  habebat  nisi  mortem 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


only  proffered  him  hospitality  whose 
houses  were  roofless;  and  those  only 
defended  him  who  by  no  man  were 
defended.  The  King's  friends  said, 
111  tidings  are  brought  to  the  King. 
Yet  the  father  mourned  not,  res- 
plendent in  his  glory's  peace;  and 
hard  by  his  throne  the  minister  of 
great  foresight  sat  well  contented. 
And  from  the  lands  where  the  son 
was  journeying  came  messengers 
bringing  more  grievous  news.  Judges 
had  condemned  the  King's  son  as  a 
robber  and  evil  doer,  and  had 
thrown  him  into  prison;  and  aban- 
doned by  even  those  that  had  lately 
loved  and  followed  him,  he  had 
naught   to   hope   for   saving  death. 

[115] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


quod  speraret.  Regis  amici  dixerunt: 
Res  pejores  reginuntiantur.  At  pater 
non  dolebat,  splendens  in  pace 
gloriae  suae,  et  juxta  thronum  provi- 
dens  minister  sedebat  contentus.  Et 
terris  ubi  filius  peregrinabatur  vene- 
runt  nuntii  tristissimos  casus  nun- 
tiantes.  Regis  filius,  virgis  verberatus 
et  lapidibus,  per  clamores  populi, 
omnibus  cruciatibus  laceratus,  ulti- 
ma tandem  supplicia  subiverat.  Regis 
amici  dixerunt:  Pessimae  res  regi 
nuntiantur.  At  pater  in  sublimitate 
gloriae  suae  gaudebat  et  exultabat, 
et  providens  minister  cum  magnificis 
verbis   celebrabat  sortem   expletam. 


"The  Childhood  of  Christ 


The  King's  friends  said,  More  evil 
tidings  are  brought  to  the  King.  Yet 
the  father  mourned  not,  resplendent 
in  his  glory's  peace;  and  hard  by  his 
throne  the  minister  of  great  fore- 
sight sat  well  contented.  And  from 
the  lands  where  the  son  was  jour- 
neying, came  messengers  bearing 
most  grievous  news.  The  King's  son, 
smitten  with  wands  and  with  stones 
and  torn  by  all  torments,  had  suf- 
fered the  final  punishment.  The 
King's  friends  said.  Most  evil  tidings 
are  brought  to  the  King.  Yet  the 
father  rejoiced  and  exulted  in  the 
sublimity  of  his  glory,  and  the  min- 
ister of  great  foresight  celebrated,  in 
magnificent    words,    the   fulfilment 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Et  inter  se  regni  incolae:  Nonne 
sunt  insani  qui  talibus  calamitatibus 
tanta  intemperantia  laetantur?  Sed 
die  nova  e  terris  ubi  late  et  longe 
peregrinatus  erat  rediit  filius,  et  au- 
reum  diadema  erat  in  fronte  ejus. 
Et  purpura  ornabat  ilium  et  scep- 
trum  pretiosissimis  gemmis  factum 
per  aera  attollebat,  et  cum  filio  venie- 
bant  cantantes  et  saltantes,  et  laudes 
suas  furiose  clamantes,  omnes  totius 
orbis  principes  et  potentes  et  divites 
et  servi  et  pauperes  etiam  et  cuncti 
viventes  a  filio  adducti  ingredieban- 
tur  in  regnum  patris. 
[ii8] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


of  fate.  And  the  inhabitants  of  the 
kingdom  said  one  to  another,  Are 
they  not  mad,  who  so  immoderately 
rejoice  in  such  calamities?  But  on 
the  morrow  the  son  came  again  from 
the  lands  where  he  had  journeyed 
far  and  wide,  and  upon  his  brow 
was  a  diadem  of  gold.  And  he  was 
adorned  with  purple,  and  he  held  in 
the  air  a  scepter  made  of  very  pre- 
cious stones;  and  singing  and  danc- 
ing and  furiously  crying  aloud  his 
praise  there  came  with  the  son  all 
the  princes  of  the  whole  world,  and 
the  mighty  and  the  rich  and  the 
slaves  and  the  poor  also;  and  all 
men  living,  led  by  the  son,  entered 
into  the  father's  kingdom. 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Et  Jesus  infans  dixit  angelis:  Rex 
potens  sapiensque  Pater  meus  est 
qui  est  in  coelis  et  providens  minister 
Spiritus  sanctus  est.  Et  Patris  sum 
Filius  qui  morte  resurgens  omnes 
gentes  in  regnum  coeli  congregabo. 

Et  Jesus  angelique  jocos  repetie- 
runt,  et  alter  altero  sicut  pilas  jacie- 
bat  sidera  firmamenti. 


[120] 


T'he  Childhood  of  Christ 


And  the  Child  Jesus  said  to  the 
angels,  The  wise  and  mighty  King  is 
my  Father  which  is  in  heaven,  and 
the  minister  of  great  foresight  is  the 
Holy  Ghost.  And  the  Father's  Son 
am  I,  who,  in  rising  again  from  death, 
shall  gather  all  nations  together  in- 
to the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

And  Jesus  and  the  angels  began 
again  their  games;  and  they  threw 
one  to  another,  like  balls,  the  stars 
of  the  firmament. 


[i2i] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  ?©ec(mum^ 

T  venierunt  peregrini  ad  sy- 
comorum  quae  nunc  Matarea 
dictur;  et  totus  circa  arbo- 
rem  vacuus  erat  campus;  nee  messes 
nee  flores  in  hocce  loco  terra  affere- 
bat. 

At  cum  ad  sycomorum  incederunt 
Maria  et  Jesus  quos  Joseph  sequeba- 
tur,  sol  ardebat  nimium;  divus  puer 
in  arena  recubuit,  sudans  propter 
nimium  solis  ardorem;  odorans  hu- 
mor fluebat  a  membris  dormientis; 
et  nunc  ilia  regio  balsamis  abundat, 
gratia  sudoris  Nostri  Domini  Dei. 
[122] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


ND  the  travellers  came  unto 
a  sycamore  which  now  is 
3  called  Matarea;  and  about 
the  tree  the  whole  field  was  barren; 
in  this  place  the  earth  bore  neither 
harvests  nor  flowers. 

But  as  Mary  and  Jesus,  whom  Jo- 
seph was  following,  drew  nigh  unto 
the  sycamore,  the  sun  was  exceed- 
ing hot.  The  Divine  Boy  lay  down 
upon  the  sand,  sweating  because  of 
the  sun's  exceeding  heat.  As  he  slept, 
a  perfumed  humor  flowed  from  his 
limbs;  and  now  that  region  abounds 
in  balsam,  thanks  to  the  sweat  of 
Our  Lord  God. 

[123] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  aintiecimum* 

ROXIMA  die,  e  isto  loco 
abierunt;  cumiiseratpuella, 
quam  Jesus  lepra  sanaverat; 
in  vicinia  civitatis  viderunt  tres  mu- 
lieres,  quae  in  sepulchrum  lacrymas 
multas  profundebant. 

Aspiciens  eas,  Maria  dixit  puellae: 
Roga  mulierum  nomen  et  doloris 
causam.  Interrogantinon  respondere 
at  interrogaverunt  ipsae  dicentes: 
Qui  estis  alienigeni?  etundeetquo? 
Nam  dies  jam  cecidit  et  nox  fit. 
[124] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


HE  next  day  they  departed 
from  that  place.  With  them 
was  a  maiden  whom  Jesus 
had  healed  of  leprosy.  In  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  city  they  saw  three 
women  shedding  many  tears  in  a 
sepulchre. 

Perceiving  them,  Mary  said  to  the 
maiden,  Ask  the  women's  name 
and  the  cause  of  their  grief.  When 
she  questioned  them  they  made  no 
answer,  but  themselves  asked  ques- 
tions, saying.  Who  are  ye,  strangers, 
and  whence  come  ye,  and  whither 
do  ye  go?    For  the  day  hath  died 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Puella  respbndit:  Peregrinos  videtis 
et  quaerimus  deversorium  ut  in  tuto 
pernoctemus.  Illae  autem:  Nobis- 
cum  venite  et  pernoctate  apud  nos. 

Peregrini  secuti  sunt  mulieres,  et 
ingressi  sunt  in  domum  novam,  spa- 
tiosam  et  diversis  supellectilibus  or- 
natam;  et  cum  intrasset  puella  in 
cubiculum  mulierum,  illae  adhuc 
dolebant  flebantque.  Et  apud  eas 
stabat  mulus  aureo  operimento  ob- 
tectus  et  tintinnabulis  ornatus;  et 
pabulum  propeeum  in  faliscis  argenti 
et  eboris  spragebatur;  et  mulieres 
lacrymosae  osculabantur  mulum. 

Tunc  puella:  O  dominae,  quam 
[126] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


already,  and  night  draweth  nigh.  The 
maiden  answered,  We  are  travellers 
that  ye  behold,  and  we  seek  an  hos- 
telry that  we  may  pass  the  night  in 
safety.  Then  said  they,  Come  withus, 
and  pass  the  night  among  us. 

The  wayfarers  followed  the  wo- 
men, and  entered  into  a  house,  new, 
spacious  and  adorned  with  divers  fur- 
nishings; and  as  the  maiden  entered 
into  the  women's  chamber,  they  still 
grieved  and  wept.  And  hard  by  them 
stood  a  mule,  covered  with  a  golden 
saddle-cloth  and  adorned  with  bells; 
and  fodder  was  spread  near  him  in 
bins  of  silver  and  ivory;  and  the  tear- 
ful women  kissed  the  mule. 

Then    said    the    maiden,   Oh  my 

[127] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


pulcher  apparet  iste  mulus!  Et  re- 
tulerunt:  Mulus  quern  vides  est  fra- 
ter  noster,  matre  nostra  natus; 
pessima  incantatrix  quam  uxorem 
ducere  noluerat,  maleficiis  experta, 
formosum  juvenem  in  istam  bestiae 
formam  vertit.  Et  nos  causa  fraterni 
amoris  lamentamur;  et  corde  tristi 
ad  patris  tumulum  imus  et  super  tu- 
mulum  flemus;  et  deinde,  semper 
flentes,  redimus  apud  fratrem  mulum. 
Cum  puella  ista  verba  audisset: 
Macte,  dominae!  nam  malo  vestro 
vicinum  est  remedium;  leprosa  fui; 
at  quum  vidissem  hancVirginem 
Mariam  et  hunc  Puerum  Jesum,  cum 
[-8] 


T'he  Childhood  of  Christ 


ladies,  how  beautiful  is  this  mule ! 
And  they  answered,  The  mule 
which  thou  seest  is  our  brother,  born 
of  our  mother;  a  most  evil  enchant- 
ress whom  he  would  not  take  to  wife, 
being  practised  in  ill  deeds,  hath 
changed  the  fair  young  man  into  the 
form  of  that  beast.  And  we,  because 
of  our  sisterly  love,  lament;  and  with 
a  heavy  heart  we  go  to  our  father's 
tomb;  and  thereafter,  ever  weeping, 
we  return  to  the  mule,  our  brother. 
When  the  maiden  had  heard  these 
words,  she  said  to  them.  Take 
courage,  my  ladies !  for  the  cure  for 
your  trouble  is  at  hand.  I  was  a 
leper;  but  when  I  saw  this  Virgin 
Mary  and  this  Boy  Jesus,  while  the 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


aqua  fluissit  super  corpus  meum,  in 
qua  Virgo  Puerum  laverat,  mundata 
sum. 

Tunc  mulieres  ad  Mariam  curren- 
tes  dixerunt:  O  Maria,  domina  nos- 
tra, miserere  servarum  tuarum,  nam 
principe  orba  est  nostra  familia  et 
non  patrem  nee  fratrem  habemus 
qui  prae  nobis  vel  intret  vel  exeat. 
Istum  mulum  vides  fratrem  nostrum 
quem  in  mulum  vertit  incantatrix. 
Ergo  te  precamur  utnostrimiserearis. 
Et  Virgo  miserta  est  et  posuit  Jesum 
in  dorsum  muli  et  dixit:  Euh!  filiole 
mi,  age  novum  miraculum  et  mulus 
fiat  homo  qualis  ante  erat. 

Statim  in  virum  rediit  et  pulcher- 

[130] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


water  in  which  the  Virgin  had  washed 
the  Boy  flowed  over  my  bodv,  I  was 
cleansed. 

Then  running  to  Mary,  the  women 
said,  O  Mary,  our  lady,  take  pity 
on  thy  servants;  for  our  family  is 
bereft  of  its  head,  and  we  have  no 
father  nor  brother  to  come  in  or  go 
out  before  us.  Thou  seest  this  mule, 
our  brother,  whom  an  enchantress 
hath  turned  into  a  mule.  Therefore 
we  pray  thee,  take  pity  on  us.  And 
the  Virgin  took  pity  on  them,  and 
placed  Jesus  upon  the  mule's  back, 
and  said,  Ah !  my  little  son,  perform 
a  new  miracle,  and  let  the  mule  be 
made  man,  as  he  was  aforetime. 

Straightway  he  turned  again  into 

[131] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


rimus  erat  et  nulla  in  illo  deformi- 
tas. 

Et  mulieres  adorabant  Virginem 
Mariam  et  brachiis  tollentes  divum 
Puerum  laetabantur  et  vociferabant: 
Beatissimo  mater  tua,  o  Jesu  Deo 
nate,  salvator  mundi!  et  puellus  si- 
milis  es  soli  novo  qui  jam  vix  oriens 
tenebras  propulsat. 

Deinde  dixerunt:  Quoniam  frater 
noster  recuperavit  naturalem  imagi- 
nem,  Domino  volente,  et  hacce 
puella  suadente,  decet,  credimus, 
fratrem  nostrum  uxorem  hancce  pu- 
ellam  ducere. 

Et  juvenis,  puellam  uxorem  duxit. 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


a  man,  and  he  was  very  fair,  and  in 
him  was  no  blemish. 

And  the  women  worshipped  the 
Virgin  Mary,  and  bearing  in  their 
arms  the  Divine  Boy,  they  were  glad, 
and  cried  aloud.  Most  blessed  is 
thy  mother,  Jesus,  Son  of  God,  Sa- 
viour of  the  world!  and  thou  art  a 
young  child  like  the  dawning  sun, 
which,  though  hardly  risen,  already 
driveth  away  the  darkness. 

Thereafter  they  said,  Since  our 
brother  hath  regained  his  natural 
semblance  by  God's  will  and  through 
this  maiden's  counsel,  we  deem  it 
fitting  that  our  brother  should  take 
this  maiden  to  wife. 

And  the  young  man  took  the 

[  m  ] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Et  fuerunt  usque  ad  noctem  in  domo 
festi  cantus  et  saltationes  et  nuptialis 
coena  vinis  et  cibis  copiosa.  Et  divus 
Puer  per  laetantes  voces,  subridens 
in  ulnis  Virginis,  insusurravit  ad  au- 
rem  ejus:  Juvenis,  in  mulum  versus, 
nemo  est  nisi  populus  Israel,  usque 
ad  vilem  bestiam  peccato  abjectus, 
dum  leprosa  puella  gentilium  turba 
erat  idolarum  cultu  immunda;  at 
ego  populum  Israel  in  primam  in- 
nocentiam  restituam  et  gentilium 
turbam  idolis  sanabo  et  conjugaliter 
laetificabuntur  in  domo  Patris  mei. 
[134] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


maiden  to  wife.  And  even  until  night 
there  were  songs  of  holiday  in  the 
house,  and  dances  and  a  marriage 
supper  abounding  in  wines  and 
meats.  And  in  the  midst  of  glad 
voices  the  Divine  Boy,  smiling  in  the 
Virgin's  arms,  whispered  in  her  ear, 
The  young  man,  turned  into  a  mule, 
is  none  other  than  the  people  Israel, 
brought  down  by  sin  even  unto  a  vile 
beast;  the  maiden,  while  a  leper,  was 
the  crowd  of  gentiles  uncleansed  from 
the  service  of  idols;  but  I  will  again 
establish  the  people  Israel  in  their 
first  innocence,  and  the  crowd  of  the 
gentiles  will  I  heal  of  their  idols,  and 
as  husband  and  wife  they  shall  be 
glad  together  in  my  Father's  house. 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  J^uoOectmum* 

N  hacce  urbe,  vivebant  duae 
mulieres  ejusdem  hominis 
sponsae.  Et  una  Sephora  vo- 
cabatur  et  alia  Kaljufa.  Et  Kaljufa 
sterilis  detestabatur  Sephoram  quae 
filium  pepererat.  Quodam  die  Se- 
phora ut  farinam  quaererat  reliquit 
natum  suum  prope  furnum  ardentem 
et  cum  rediit  vidit  puerum  in  furno. 
At  furnus  exstinctus  erat  ne  infanti 
focus  nocerat.  Sephora  conjectavit 
inimicam  suam  istud  facinus  tentavis- 
se  et  ad  Mariam  Virginem  accurit  et 
[^36] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


N  this  city  lived  two  women, 
wives  to  the  same  man.  And 
one  was  called  Sephora  and 
the  other  Kaljufa.  And  Kaljufa,  who 
was  sterile,  hated  Sephora  who  had 
borne  a  son.  On  a  certain  day  Se- 
phora left  her  child  near  a  burning 
furnace,  that  she  might  go  in  search 
of  flour;  and  when  she  returned  she 
saw  the  boy  in  the  furnace.  But  the 
furnace  had  gone  out,  lest  the  fire 
should  harm  the  child.  Sephora 
divined  that  her  enemy  had  essayed 
this  crime,  and  she  ran  to  the  Vir- 
gin Mary,  and  made  the  thing  known 

[137] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


rem  nuntiavit.  Tunc  Virgo:  Tace 
quod  actum  est,  nam  tibi  metuo 
pejorem  casum  nisi  taceas. 

Post  aliquas  dies,  improba  Kaljufa 
puteum  petens  ut  aquam  hauriret 
vidit  filium  rivalis  jocantem  prope 
puteum  et  sola  corripuit  infantem 
et  eum  ejecit  in  puteum  et  fugit.  At 
quidam  caementarii,  in  huncce  locum 
adventi  ut  aquam  haurirent,viderunt 
filium  Sephorae,  qui  sedebat  intac- 
tus  in  aqua  et  funibus  eum  e  puteo 
attraxerunt.  Sephora  conjectavit  ini- 
micam  suam  istud  facinus  tentavisse 
et  ad  Virginem  Mariam  accurit  et 
[138] 


T^he  Childhood  of  Christ 


to  her.  Then  said  the  Virgin,  Be  si- 
lent concerning  that  which  hath 
passed;  for  I  fear  for  thee  a  worse 
chance  unless  thou  art  silent. 

After  a  few  days  the  wicked  Kal- 
jufa,  seeking  the  well  to  draw  water, 
saw  her  rival's  son  playing  near  the 
well;  and  being  alone,  she  seized 
the  child,  and  threw  him  into  the 
well,  and  fled.  But  certain  masons, 
who  came  to  that  place  to  draw 
water,  saw  Sephora's  son  sitting  un- 
hurt upon  the  water;  and  they 
pulled  him  out  of  the  water  with 
cords.  Sephora  divined  that  her 
enemy  had  essayed  this  crime,  and 
she  ran  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  and 
made  the  thing  known  to  her.  Then 

[139] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


rem  nuntiavit.  Tunc  Virgo:  Tace 
quod  actum  est,  nam  tibi  metuo 
pejorem  casum  nisi  taceas. 

Sed,  haec  audiens  Jesus :  Qui  ma- 
lum fecit  malum  patietur;  et  postera 
die,  Kaljufa  ad  puteum  rediens  pedes 
per  funes  irretivit  et  cecidit  in  puteum 
et  clamati  succurrentes  viderunt  ca- 
put ejus  petris  conquassatum.  Et  sic 
prophetae  verbum  expletum  est:  Pu- 
teum foderunt  et  terram  in  altum 
ejecerunt,  at  in  fossam  cecidere  quam 
paraverant. 

Tunc  Virgo  Maria  divo  Infanti 
[140] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


said  the  Virgin,  Be  silent  concerning 
that  which  hath  passed;  for  I  fear  a 
worse  chance  for  thee  unless  thou 
art  silent. 

But  hearing  these  things,  Jesus 
said,  He  that  hath  done  evil  shall 
suffer  evil.  And  the  next  day,  Kal- 
jufa  returning  to  the  well,  entangled 
her  feet  in  the  cords,  and  fell  into 
the  well;  and  those  that  hurried  to 
her  when  she  cried  out  saw  that  her 
head  was  crushed  against  the  stones. 
And  thus  was  fulfilled  the  word  of 
theprophet:  They  have  digged  a  well, 
and  thrown  up  earth  on  high;  but 
they  are  fallen  into  the  ditch  which 
they  have  prepared. 

Then  said  the  Virgin  Mary  to  the 

[HI] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


locuta  est:  Cur  bonus,  filiole  mi, 
hancce  mulierem  tarn  severiter  pu- 
nisti?  At  Jesus:  Qui  Patre  meo  ma- 
ledixit,  si  paeniteat,  absolvebitur; 
qui  fratrem  occidit,  si  paeniteat, 
absolvebitur;  qui  fratris  uxorem 
adulteravit,  si  paeniteat,  absolvebi- 
tur; qui  pecudes  aut  messes  aut 
pecuniam  vicini  surripuit,  si  paeni- 
teat, absolvebitur:  at  qui  puero  no- 
cuit  sive  tantum  nocere  tentavit, 
paeniteat  vel  non  paeniteat,  non  ab- 
solvebitur. 


[h^] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


Divine  Child,  Being  kind,  my  little 
boy,  why  hast  thou  so  severely  pu- 
nished this  w^oman?  But  Jesus  an- 
swered. Whoso  hath  blasphemed  my 
Father,  if  he  repent,  shall  be  for- 
given; whoso  hath  led  his  brother's 
wife  into  adultery,  if  he  repent,  shall 
be  forgiven;  whoso  hath  stolen  herds 
or  harvests  or  money  from  his  neigh- 
bor, if  he  repent,  shall  be  forgiven ; 
but  whoso  hath  harmed  a  child  or 
hath  attempted  to  harm  him,  whether 
he  repent  or  repent  not,  shall  not 
be  forgiven. 


i^\2L 


Evangelmm  Infantiae 


Caput  Ccrtiumtiecimum* 

T  decebat  Puerum  jam  pati 
qui  vir  ultra  virorum  vires 
patieretur;  etquadamnocte 
per  desertum,  bovibus  et  ovibus 
amissis,  et  utribus  aquae  vacuis,  sub 
arena  et  vento  errabant  peregrini. 
Et  nox  nigra  et  terribilis  erat;  et 
fame  et  siti  et  afflictione  torti  geme- 
bant  nescientes  qui  auxiliarentur  eos. 
In  tenebris  stabat  arbor  et  Jesus 
dixit:  In  banc  arborem  ascendam 
ut  videam  si  aliquis  fenestra  vel  lon- 
[H4] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


lUT  it  was  meet  that  the  boy 
should  already  suffer  who, 
as  a  man,  was  to  suffer  be- 
yond the  power  of  men;  and  on  a 
certain  night,  the  cows  and  sheep 
being  lost,  and  the  skins  empty  of 
water,  the  travellers  wandered  in 
sand  and  wind.  And  the  night  was 
black  and  terrible;  and  tormented 
with  hunger  and  thirst  and  afflic- 
tion, they  moaned,  knowing  not  who 
should  succor  them. 

In  the  darkness  stood  a  tree,  and 
Jesus  said,  I  will  climb  up  into  this  tree 
to  see  whether  any  window  is  shin- 

[H5] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


ginque  vel  propinque  in  umbra  lu- 
ceat.  Et  in  arborem  ascendit  et  Maria 
divo  Infanti:  Nonne  vides  lucere 
fenestram  domi?  At  Jesus  respondit: 
Solam  video  noctem.  Post  momen- 
tum Maria  rursus  ait:  Nonne  domi 
fenestram  lucere  vides?  Tunc  Jesus 
retulit:  Video  minimum  lumen  lon- 
ginquissime,  at  dubito  an  sit  stellae 
per  nubes  sive  fenestrae. 

Et  ad  lumen  perrexerunt.   Et  lux 
domi  erat,  et,  cum  ante  domum  ad- 

veniere,  Joseph  pugno  januam  pul- 

[146] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


ing  far  or  near  in  the  darkness.  And 
he  climbed  up  into  the  tree,  and 
Mary  asked  the  Divine  Child,  Dost 
thou  not  see  the  window  of  a  house 
shining?  But  Jesus  answered,  I  see 
the  night  only.  After  a  moment  Ma- 
ry said  once  more.  Dost  thou  not 
see  the  window  of  a  house  shining? 
Then  Jesus  made  answer,  I  see  an 
exceeding  small  light  afar  off,  and  I 
know  not  whether  it  be  from  a  star 
in  the  clouds  or  from  a  window. 

And  they  went  forward  to  the 
light.  And  the  light  was  from  a 
house;  and  when  they  were  come 
before  the  house,  Joseph  smote  on 
the  door  with  his  fist;  and  when  the 

[147] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


savit   et,  janua    aperta,    quaedam 
vetula  apparuit,  lampadem  ferens. 

Et  Maria  dixit:  Domina,  permitte 
nos  in  domo  tua  dormire  usque  ad 
solem  novum,  nam  ventus  nos  lace- 
rat  et  arena  nos  ardet  et  sumus  sine 
tecto  nee  via,  senex  et  mulier  et 
bimulus  infans. 

At  vetula:  Fugite,  fugite,  miseri, 
nam  conjux  mens  qui  Titus  vocatur 
terribilior  et  atrocior  est  omnibus 
furibuslatronibusque;  et  gaudet  oc- 
cisis  peregrinisquos  spoliavit.  Fugite, 
fugite,  nam  stat  in  coenacula  et,  si 
audieret  vestram  vocem,  malum 
vobis  adveniret. 

[148] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


door  was  opened,  there  appeared  a 
certain  old  woman  bearing  a  lamp. 

And  Mary  said,  Lady,  grant  us 
to  sleep  in  thine  house  even  unto 
the  dawning  of  the  sun;  for  the  wind 
teareth  us  and  the  sand  burneth  us, 
and  we  are  without  road  or  shelter 
—  an  old  man  and  a  woman  and  a 
child  of  two  years. 

But  the  old  woman  answered, 
Flee, flee, unhappy  ones:  for  my  hus- 
band, who  is  called  Titus,  is  more  ter- 
rible and  fierce  than  all  other  robbers 
and  thieves,  and  he  rejoiceth  over  the 
slain  wayfarers  that  he  hath  despoiled. 
Flee,  flee;  for  he  standeth  in  the 
dining-chamber;  and  if  he  hear  your 
voice,  harm  will  come  to  you. 

[149] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Et  his  verbis  vix  dictis,  apparuit 
ipse  Titus,  ore  niger,  crinibus  hirsu- 
tus,  et  vociferans  sicut  leones  fremunt 
et  operiens  in  horrida  barba  minacem 
gulam  bestiae,  et  dixit:  Fortunatam 
noctem  quae  peregrines  istos  in 
meam  domum  duxit  et  eos  nudabo 
et  eos  verberabo,  et,  si  prandium 
quod  me  paravit  mulier  non  mihi 
gratum  est,  forsan  carne  illius  homi- 
nis  aut  meliore  illius  virginis  famem 
meam  satiabo.  Et  tremebant  pere- 
grini. 

At,  quum  furiosus  fur  divum  In- 
fantem  vidisset,venustum  etdebilem, 
[150] 


T^he  Childhood  of  Christ 


And  hardly  had  she  said  these 
words,  when  Titus  himself  appeared, 
black  of  face,  hair  on  end,  and  cry- 
ing out  as  lions  roar,  and  opening 
behind  his  bristling  beard  the 
threatening  mouth  of  a  beast;  and 
he  said,  '^Fortunate  is  the  night, 
which  hath  led  these  travellers  into 
mine  house,  and  I  will  strip  them, 
and  I  will  scourge  them,  and  if  the 
meal  which  this  woman  hath  pre- 
pared for  me  pleaseth  me  not,  per- 
chance on  the  flesh  of  this  man  or 
the  more  goodly  flesh  of  this  virgin, 
will  I  satisfy  my  hunger.  And  the 
travellers  trembled. 

But  when  the  furious  robber  had 
seen    the    Divine    Child,  so   comely 

[151] 


Rvangelium  Infantiae 


dulcitudo  in  sua  tota  facie  sese  efFu- 
sit  et  oculi  sui  boni  erant;  et  os 
benignum  ridebat  in  barba  et  ait: 
Venite,  senex  et  virgo,  intrate  in 
domum  meam  et  coenate  et  dormite 
et  nihil  nisi  bonum  vobis  faciam  et 
nullam  mercedem  rogabo  nisi  ali- 
quantulo  hunc  puerum  totis  homi- 
num  filiis  amoeniorem  et  jucundio- 
rem  super  mea  genua  tenere  et  una 
vice  ilium  osculari,  si  barbam  non 
timet,  Et  ingressi  sunt;  et  coenavere 
et  dormierunt;  et  fur,  luminibus 
caritate  emollitis,  mirabatur  parvu- 
lum  et  tenerum  hospitem. 

Sole  novo,  cum  peregrini  Titum 

[152] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


and  helpless,  gentleness  spread  over 
his  whole  face,  and  his  eyes  were 
kind,  and  a  friendly  mouth  laughed 
within  his  beard,  and  he  said,  Come, 
old  man  and  virgin,  enter  into  my 
house,  and  sup  and  sleep ;  and  I  will 
do  you  nothing  but  good;  and  I 
will  ask  no  recompense  unless  to 
hold  for  a  little  time  upon  my  knees 
this  Boy,  who  is  more  lovable  and 
delightful  than  all  the  sons  of  men, 
and  to  kiss  him  once,  if  he  fear  not 
my  beard.  And  they  entered;  and 
they  supped  and  they  slept:  and  the 
robber,  his  eyes  softened  with  chari- 
ty, marvelled  at  his  young  and  tender 
guest. 

At  dawn,  when  the  travellers  had 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


salutaverunt  et  jam  iter  perseque- 
bantur,  fur  stans  in  limine  portae 
dolebat  et  lugebat  et  lacrymabat 
quod  nunquam  puellum  revideret. 
At  Jesus,  ad  eum  caput  vertens,  dixit 
in  osculo  digitis  misso:  Tite,  terribilis 
omnibus  et  mihi  infanti  dulcis,  tu 
me  revidebis,  tibi  dice  in  nomine 
Patris  mei.  Et  post  multos  annos, 
Titus  fuit  bonus  latro  in  cruce  dex- 
tera. 


[154] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


taken  leave  of  Titus  and  were  already 
continuing  their  journey,  the  robber 
standing  on  the  threshold  of  his  door, 
grieved  and  moaned  and  wept,  be- 
cause he  should  never  again  behold 
the  young  child.  But  Jesus,  turning 
his  head  toward  him,  said,  while 
throwing  a  kiss  with  his  fingers,  Ti- 
tus, terrible  to  all  men  and  gentle 
to  me  a  child,  thou  shalt  again  be- 
hold me.  I  say  it  to  thee  in  my 
Father's  name.  And  after  many 
years,  Titus  was  the  good  thief  on 
the  cross  at  his  right  hand. 


Uss^ 


Rvangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  :©uartumtiecimum* 

T  peregrini  pergebant  ad  ter- 
rain Aegypti;  et  longo  iti- 
nere  cruciati,  dolebant  sine 
pane  nee  aqua  nee  tecto.  Joseph 
divo  Infanti  dixit:  Cur  non  in  nave 
trans  aequor  viam  quaerimus  ad  ter- 
ram  Aegypti?  Nam  ecce  pedes  post 
tantos  passus  sanguinem  mittunt.  At 
Jesus:  Ne  timeas,  Joseph;  iter  coarc- 
tabo  et  quam  per  triginta  dies  viam 
non  expleres  in  una  perages. 
[156] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


ND  the  wayfarers  went  for- 
ward toward  the  land  of 
Egypt:  and  being  torment- 
ed by  the  long  journey,  they  suf- 
fered without  bread  or  water  or 
shelter.  Joseph  said  to  the  Divine 
Child,  Why  do  we  not  seek  our  way 
in  a  ship  across  the  water  to  the 
land  of  Egypt?  For  after  so  many 
steps,  behold  our  feet  are  bleeding. 
But  Jesus  answered.  Fear  not,  Joseph; 
I  will  shorten  the  road,  and  a  road 
that  in  thirty  days  thou  couldst  not 
have  accomplished,  thou  shalt  finish 
in  one. 


[157] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Quum  adhuc  loquebatur,  viderunt 
montes  et  urbes  Aegypti  et  gauden- 
tes  ingressi  sunt  in  civitatem  quae 
Sotina  dicebatur.  Neminem  cognos- 
centes  qui  eos  hospites  acciperat  in- 
traverunt  in  templum  quod  incolae 
hujusce  regionis  Capitoliumnomina- 
bant.  Et  in  hoc  templo  in  acropodiis 
vel  auri  vel  argenti  stabant  innume- 
rabiles  idolae,  capita  taurorum  aut 
leonum  erigentes  et  rubentes  gemmas 
loco  oculorum  in  marmore  faciei  ha- 
bentes.  Et  cum  beata  Maria  cum 
filio  apud  altare  incessit,  innumera- 
biles  idolae  trementes  et  titubantes 
ad  solum  sese  projecerunt  in  terribli 

[158] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


While  he  yet  spake,  they  saw  the 
mountains  and  towns  of  Egypt,  and 
they  entered  rejoicing  into  a  city 
which  was  called  Sotina.  Knowing 
no  man  who  should  receive  them 
as  guests,  they  went  into  a  temple 
which  the  inhabitants  of  this  region 
named  the  Capitol.  And  in  this 
temple  there  stood  on  pedestals  of 
gold  or  silver,  numberless  idols  bear- 
ing bulls'  or  lions'  heads,  and  having, 
in  their  marble  faces,  glowing  gems 
in  place  of  eyes.  And  when  the  bless- 
ed Mary  went  forward  with  her  Son 
toward  the  altar,  the  numberless  idols 
threw  themselves  trembling  and  stag- 
gering in  a  terrible  tumult  to    the 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


tumultu;  et  prostratae  manebant 
propter  Puellum. 

Per  totam  terram  Aegypti  fama 
fuit  deorum  marmoreorum  qui  In- 
fantem  adoraverant;  et  timuit  in 
palatio  Pharao  in  se  cogitans :  Forsan 
iste  puer  qui  Judaea  ortus  est  similis 
erit  antique  Judaeo  qui  Aegyptum 
plagis  afBixit  et  per  quern  liberati 
servi  e  nostra  terra  exierunt.  His  cogi- 
tatis,  jussit  puerum  cum  matre  prae 
se  adduci. 

Cum  Jesus  infans  in  regiam  aedem 
ingressus  est,  multitude  satellitum 
formidandis  armis  armatorum  thro- 
[i6o] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 

ground;  and  they  remained  pros- 
trate before  the  young  Child. 

Throughout  the  whole  land  of 
Egypt  the  fame  went  forth  of  the 
marble  gods  that  had  worshipped 
the  Child.  And  Pharaoh  in  his  pal- 
ace was  afraid,  considering  within 
himself,  Perchance  this  boy,  which 
is  come  up  out  of  Judea,  will  be 
like  the  Jew  of  old  who  afflicted 
Egypt  with  plagues,  and  through 
whom  our  slaves  went  forth  free  out 
of  our  land.  After  considering  these 
things,  he  ordained  that  the  boy  and 
his  mother  should  be  led  before  him. 

When  the  Child  Jesus  had  come 
into  the  royal  dwelling,  a  multitude 
of  courtiers,  armed  with  formidable 

[i6i] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


numcircumdabant  et  in  gradis  throni 
quatuor  dracones  miraculosi  custo- 
des  gulis  oculisque  flammas  emitte- 
bant.  At  Infans  non  timuit  et 
draconum  jubam  parvulis  digitis 
blandiebatur  sicut  puerorum  mos  est 
cum  familiaribus  catulis  jocare. 

Tunc  Pharao:  Nonne  es  infans 
quern  Filium  Dei  dicunt  et  ad  pedes 
cujus  sese  projiciunt  numina  mar- 
morea,  similis  isto  antique  Mosi  qui 
hocce  regnum  cruciavit  spoliavitque? 
Sine  dubio  contra  nos  fers  iram  et 
crudelis  Domini  vindicationem. 
[162] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


weapons,  surrounded  the  throne,  and 
on  the  steps  of  the  throne,  four  drag- 
ons, its  miraculous  guard,  flashed 
flames  from  their  mouths  and  eyes. 
But  the  Child  was  not  afraid,  and 
with  his  little  fingers  he  stroked  the 
dragons'  manes,  as  is  the  wont  of 
boys  playing  with  little  household 
dogs. 

Then  said  Pharaoh,  Child,  whom 
men  call  the  Son  of  God,  and  at 
whose  feet  the  marble  gods  threw 
themselves  down,  art  thou  not  like 
that  Moses  of  old,  who  tormented 
this  kingdom  and  despoiled  it?  With- 
outdoubt  thou  bringest  anger  against 
us,  and  the  vengeance  of  a  cruel 
Lord. 


[163] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


At  Jesus,  qui  in  manu  tollebat 
stipitem  lilii,  respondit  amoeno  ore 
subridens:  Post  Mosem,  in  nomine 
Patris  et  Spiritus  Sancti  incedo,velut 
sol  novus  post  noctem;  et  in  nocte 
siderum  lux  erat,  at  non  diei  lumen; 
nee  iram  nee  vindicationem  fero,  at 
caritatem  et  peccatorum  redemptio- 
nem;  et  regiones,  per  quas  transeo, 
similes  factae  sunt  horto  nuper  arido 
ubi  urticae  spinaeque  in  rosas  florent 
tristium  oculis  gratas  vel  in  fructus 
maturant  salutares  siti  miserorum. 


[164] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


But  Jesus,  who  bore  in  his  hand 
the  stem  of  a  lily,  answered,  with  a 
smile  on  his  lovable  mouth.  In  the 
name  of  the  Father  and  the  Holy 
Ghost,  I  come  after  Moses  like  dawn 
after  the  night;  and  in  the  night  was 
the  brightness  of  stars,  but  not  the 
light  of  day.  I  bring  neither  anger 
nor  vengeance,  but  charity  and  the 
salvation  of  sinners;  and  the  regions 
through  which  I  pass  are  made  like 
a  once  arid  garden  where  nettles  and 
thistles  flower  with  roses  grateful  to 
the  eyes  of  the  sorrowful,  or  ripen 
with  fruits  refreshing  to  the  thirst  of 
the  unhappy. 


[165] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  ^umtumDectmum* 

T  Pharao  non  apposuit  cor; 
et  quia  malus  daemon  in  eo 
erat,  ut  Jesus  tentaretur, 
dixit  Jesu :  Sane  ilium  stipitem  quem 
in  manu  habes  ad  fluminis  aquam 
incurvabis  et  vertetur  aqua  in  san- 
guinem, 

Vero  Jesus,  in  brachiis  matris,  cui 
est  cor  dulce,  ad  fluminis  aquam  in- 
curvavit  stipitem  et  in  lac  praedulce 
versa  est;  et  in  ripis  Aegyptii  gaude- 
bant  praedulce  lac  bibere. 
[i66] 


JESUS  MANUM   SUAM  EXTENDIT  SUPER  FLUVIOS 


JESUS  INCLINED  THE  STEM  TOWARD  THE  WATERS 
OF  THE  RIVER 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


|UT  Pharaoh  laid  this  not  to 
heart;  and  because  an  evil 
spirit  was  in  him,  he  said  to 
Jesus,  to  tempt  him,  Surely  that  stem 
which  thou  holdest  in  thine  hand, 
thou  wilt  incline  it  toward  the  river, 
and  the  waters  shall  be  turned  to 
blood. 

Now  Jesus,  in  the  arms  of  his 
mother, whose  heart  isgentle,  inclined 
the  stem  toward  the  waters  of  the 
river;  and  they  were  turned  to  very 
sweet  milk;  and  on  the  banks,  the 
Egyptians  rejoiced  in  drinking  this 
very  sweet  milk. 

[169] 


Evangeltum  Infantiae 


Nee  Pharao  apposuit  eor,  et  dixit 
Jesu:  Sane  extendes  manum  tuam 
super  iluvios  et  paludes  et  educes 
ranas  super  terram  Aegypti. 

Vero  Jesus,  in  brachiis  matris,  cui 
est  cor  dulce,  manum  suam  extendit 
super  iluvios  et  paludes  et  pisces  in- 
numeri  ex  aqua  salierunt  et  sponte 
sua  sese  in  retes  omnium  piscatorum 
ejecerunt;  et  magna  fuit  laetitia  in 
tota  regione  quia  pauperrimis  famen 
satiare  licuit. 

Nee  Pharao  etiam  hac  vice  cor 
apposuit,  et  dixit  Jesu:  Sane  hunc 
[170] 


'The  Childhood  of  Christ 


And  Pharaoh  laid  not  this  to  heart, 
and  he  said  to  Jesus,  Surely  thou  wilt 
stretch  forth  thine  hand  over  the  riv- 
ers and  ponds,  and  thou  vi^ilt  cause 
frogs  to  come  up  over  the  land  of 
Egypt. 

Now  Jesus,  in  the  arms  of  his 
mother,  whose  heart  is  gentle, 
stretched  forth  his  hand  over  the 
rivers  and  ponds:  and  numberless 
fishes  leaped  out  of  the  water,  and 
threw  themselves  of  their  own  accord 
into  the  nets  of  all  the  fishermen; 
and  there  was  great  gladness  in  the 
whole  region,  because  even  the  poor- 
est might  satisfy  their  hunger. 

And  this  time  also  Pharaoh  laid  it 
not  to  heart;    and  he  said  to  Jesus, 

[171] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


stipitem  ad  pulverem  flectes  et  erunt 
scinifes  in  universa  terra  Aegypti. 

Vero  Jesus,  in  brachiis  matris  cui 
est  cor  dulce,  stipitem  flexit  ad  pul- 
verem et  pulvis  versa  est  in  inexpu- 
tabiliasemina  quae  ventis  sparsa  totos 
campos  fecundarunt;  et  fructibus  et 
oleribus  et  messibus  ditandi  laeta- 
bantur  agricolae. 

Induratumque  est  cor  Pharaonis, 
et  dixit  Jesu:  Sane  ecce  immittes 
in  me  et  in  servos  meos  et  in  popu- 

lum  meum  et  in  domos  meas  omne 

[172] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


Surely  thou  wilt  bend  this  stem 
toward  the  dust,  and  there  shall  be 
lice  throughout  all  the  land  of 
Egypt. 

Now  Jesus,  in  the  arms  of  his 
mother,  whose  heart  is  gentle,  bent 
the  stem  toward  the  dust,  and  the 
dust  was  turned  to  countless  seeds 
which,  when  the  winds  had  scattered 
them,  made  all  the  fields  fertile;  and 
the  husbandmen,  enriched  with  fruits 
and  herbs  and  crops,  were  exceeding 
glad. 

And  Pharaoh's  heart  was  hard- 
ened, and  he  said  to  Jesus,  Lo,  surely 
thou  wilt  send  upon  me  and  upon 
my  servants,  and  upon  my  people, 
and  upon  mine  houses,  all  kinds  of 

[173] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


genus  muscarum  et  implebuntur 
domus  Aegyptiorum  muscis  diversi 
generis  et  universa  terra. 

Vero  Jesus,  in  brachiis  matris  cui 
est  cor  dulce,  infinites  populos  ali- 
gerous  apium  ex  omnibus  partibus 
coeli  evocavit;  et  implerunt  agros 
Aegyptietuniversae  terrae  et  alvearia 
instruxerunt;  et  homines  sese  delec- 
tabant  tanta  copia  mellis. 

Et  ingravatum  est  cor  Pharaonis, 
et  dixit  Jesu:  Sane  ecce  manus  tua 
erit  super  agros  meos;  et  super 
equos  et  asinos  et  camelos  et  boves 
et  oves  pestis  valde  gravis. 

Vero  Jesus,  in  brachiis  matris  cui 

[174] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


flies,  and  the  houses  of  the  Egyptians 
and  all  the  earth  shall  be  filled  with 
divers  kinds  of  flies. 

Now  Jesus,  in  the  arms  of  his 
mother,  whose  heart  is  gentle,  called 
from  all  parts  of  heaven  the  endless 
winged  peoples  of  the  bees,  and  they 
filled  the  fields  of  Egypt  and  of  all 
the  earth;  and  they  built  hives;  and 
men  were  delighted  at  such  an  abun- 
dance of  honey. 

And  Pharaoh's  heart  grew  heavy, 
and  he  said  to  Jesus,  Lo,  surely  thine 
hand  shall  be  over  my  fields;  and 
upon  my  horses  and  asses  and  cam- 
els and  cattle  and  sheep  shall  be  a 
very  grievous  murrain. 

Now  Jesus,   in    the   arms  of  his 

[^75] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


est  cor  dulce,  porrexit  manum  super 
agros;  et  statim  in  praesepiis  stabu- 
lisque  omnes  equae  et  asinae  et  ca- 
melae  et  vaccae  et  oves  vel  non  graves 
sicut  graves  pepererunt  et  fuit  pe- 
cuariis  fons  abondans  divitiarum. 

Et  ingravatum  adhuc  cor  Pharao- 
nis,  et  dixit  Jesu:  Sane  tolles  plenas 
manus  cineris  camini  et  sparges  ilium 
in  coelum  coram  me,  eritque  cinis 
super  omnem  terramAegypti;  erunt- 
que  in  hominibus  et  jumentis  ulcera 


[176] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


mother,  whose  heart  is  gentle, 
stretched  forth  his  hand  over  the 
fields:  and  straightway,  in  the  barns 
and  stables,  all  the  mares  and  she- 
asses  and  camels  and  cows  and 
sheep,  even  those  that  were  not  with 
young,  brought  forth  as  if  they  had 
been  with  young;  and  for  the  herds- 
man it  was  a  plenteous  fountain  of 
riches. 

And  still  Pharaoh's  heart  was 
heavy,  and  he  said  to  Jesus,  Surely 
thou  wilt  take  handfuls  of  ashes  of 
the  furnace,  and  thou  wilt  sprinkle 
them  toward  heaven  in  my  sight,  and 
there  shall  be  ashes  over  all  the  land 
of  Egypt;  and  upon  men  and  beasts 
of  burden   there  shall   be  boils  and 


[177] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


et  vesicae  turgentes,  in  universa  terra 
Aegypti. 

Vero  Jesus,  in  brachiis  matris  cui 
est  cor  dulce,  sustulit  manus  cineris 
plenas  camini  et  sparsit  ilium  in  coe- 
lum  coram  Pharaonem  et  vix  cinis 
tetigerat  eos  cum  omnes  homines 
jumentaque  ulceribus  vel  vesicis 
aegri  sanati  sunt;  et  gratias  agebant 
muli Aegyptiipropter  semetipsos  bes- 
tiasque  mundatos. 

Induratumque  magis  et  magis  cor 
Pharaonis,  et  dixit  Jesu:  Extendes 
manum  tuam  in  coelo  et  fiet  super 
herbas  arboresque  talis  grando  qua- 

[178] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


breaking  blains  throughout  all  the 
land  of  Egypt. 

Now  Jesus,  in  the  arms  of  his 
mother,  whose  heart  is  gentle,  took 
handfuls  of  ashes  from  the  furnace, 
and  sprinkled  it  toward  heaven  in 
the  sight  of  Pharaoh;  and  hardly  had 
the  ashes  touched  them  when  all  men 
and  beasts  of  burden  that  had  been 
sick  with  boils  or  with  blains  were 
healed;  and  many  Egyptians  gave 
thanks  that  themselves  and  their 
beasts  were  made  clean. 

And  Pharaoh's  heart  was  hard- 
ened more  and  more,  and  he  said  to 
Jesus,  Surely  thou  wilt  stretch  forth 
thine  hand  toward  heaven ;  and  upon 
the  herbs  and   trees,   smiting   their 

[179] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


tiens  flores  et  poma  et  omne  lignum 
regionis  confringens  qualis  ante  nun- 
quam  apparuit  in  universa  terra 
Aegypti. 

Vero  Jesus,  in  brachiis  matris  cui 
est  cor  dulce,  extendit  stipitem  in 
coelum  et  Dominus  dedit  grandinem 
ac  discurrentia  fulgura  super  terram; 
sed  vix  grando  tetigerat  herbas  et 
arbores  turn  quisque  grandinis  globu- 
lus ad  quamque  festuculam  in  rosam 
et  ad  quemque  ramum  in  fructum 
versus  est  ita  ut  nunquam  ver  tantos 
rosas  nee  autumnus  tantos  fructus 
habuerit  et  discurrentibus  fulguribus 
aperti  montes  et  campi  superbas 
quercus  et  frondosasulmosemiserunt 
[i8o] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


flowers  and  fruits,  and  breaking  every 
tree  of  the  country,  there  shall  be  a 
hail  such  as  never  before  hath  ap- 
peared in  all  the  land  of  Egypt. 

Now  Jesus,  in  the  arms  of  his 
mother,  whose  heart  is  gentle, 
stretched  forth  the  stem  toward 
heaven,  and  the. Lord  sent  hail  and 
thunderbolts  running  upon  the  earth; 
but  hardly  had  the  hail  touched  the 
plants  and  trees,  when  at  every  lit- 
tle leaf  each  hailstone  was  turned 
into  a  rose,  and  at  every  branch  into 
fruit,  so  that  never  a  spring  had  seen 
so  many  roses,  nor  autumn  so  much 
fruit;  and  the  mountains  and  fields, 
tilled  by  the  running  thunderbolts, 
brought  forth  superb  oaks  and  leafy 

[i8i] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


et  vigens  immensaque  silva  terram 
Aegypti  adumbravit. 

Et  ingravatum  est  cor  Pharaonis 
et  induratum  nimis,  et  dixit  Jesu: 
Sane  extendes  manum  tuam  super 
terram  Aegypti  ad  locustas  ut  ascen- 
dant super  earn  et  devorabunt  gra- 
men  omne  quo  vescuntur  armenta. 

Vero  Jesus,  in  brachiis  matris  cui 
est  cor  dulce,  extendit  stipitem  super 
terram  Aegypti  et  ex  Oriente  venie- 
runt  innumerabiles  aves,  quae  super 
armenta  volitarunt,  in  luce  nitidae 
plumis  et  jucunde  canentes  dum  pe- 
[182] 


"The  Childhood  of  Christ 


elms,  and  a  thriving  and  great  forest 
overshadowed  the  land  of  Egypt. 

And  Pharaoh's  heart  was  heavy 
and  hardened  beyond  measure,  and 
he  said  to  Jesus,  Surely  thou  wilt 
stretch  forth  thine  hand  over  the  land 
of  Egypt  for  the  locusts,  that  they 
may  come  up  upon  it;  and  they 
shall  eat  all  the  grass  on  which  our 
herds  pasture. 

Now  Jesus,  in  the  arms  of  his 
mother,  whose  heart  is  gentle, 
stretched  forth  the  stem  over  the  land 
of  Egypt,  and  from  the  east  came 
countless  birds  which  flew  over  the 
herds,  their  feathers  brilliant  in  the 
light  and  they  singing  happily,  while 

[183] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


cudes  pascebantur  pinguius  et  sapi- 
dius  gramen. 

Nee  minus  induratum  est  cor  Pha- 
raonis,  et  dixit  Jesu:  Sane  extendes 
manum  tuam  in  coelum  et  erunt 
tenebrae  super  terram  Aegypti  tarn 
densae  ut  palpari  queant. 

Vero  Jesus,  in  brachiis  matris  cui 
est  cor  dulce,  extendit  manum  in 
coelum  et  aperto  firmamento  ita  re- 
lucens  splendensque  ruit  lumen  e  pa- 
radisic ut  homines  crederent  usque 
ad  hancce  diem  per  tenebras  vixisse 
et  erat  sicut  magnificentia  div  solis 
prima  vice  super  terram  orientis. 
[184] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


the  flocks  browsed  upon  thicker  and 
more  savory  grass. 

And  Pharaoh's  heart  was  hard- 
ened none  the  less,  and  he  said  to 
Jesus,  Surely  thou  wilt  stretch  out 
thine  hand  toward  heaven,  and  there 
shall  be  a  darkness  over  the  land  of 
Egypt,  so  thick  that  it  may  be  felt. 

Now  Jesus,  in  the  arms  of  his 
mother,  whose  heart  is  gentle, 
stretched  out  his  hand  toward  heaven, 
and  the  firmament  being  opened,  a 
light  burst  forth,  so  radiant  and  re- 
splendent that  men  thought  they  had 
lived  in  darkness  even  unto  that  day; 
and  it  was  like  the  magnificence  of 
a  divine  sun  dawning  upon  the  earth 
for  the  first  time. 


[i8s] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Induratum  autem  cor  Pharaonis, 
et  dixit  Jesu :  Sane  maledices  Aegyp- 
to  et  morietur  omnis  primogenitus 
in  terra  Aegyptiorum  a  primogenito 
meo  qui  sedet  in  solio  meo  usque 
ad  primogenitum  ancillae  quae  est 
ad  molam.  Eritque  clamor  magnus 
in  universe  Aegypto  genitorum  ge- 
nitriciumque. 

Vero  Jesus,  in  brachiis  matris  cui 
est  cor  dulce,  benedixit  Aegyptum 
et  omnes  pueri  qui  intra  terram  mor- 
tui  dormiebant,  e  terra  surrexerunt 
viventes  et  ridentes  et  fuit  magnus 
clamor  gaudentium  et  exultantium 
[i86] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


Pharaoh's  heart  moreover  was 
hardened,  and  he  said  to  Jesus,  Sure- 
ly thou  wilt  curse  Egypt,  and  all  the 
first-born  of  the  land  of  Egypt  shall 
die,  from  my  first-born  who  sitteth 
on  my  chair  of  state,  even  unto  the 
first-born  of  the  maid-servant  that  is 
at  the  mill.  And  there  shall  be  a 
great  cry  from  fathers  and  mothers 
throughout  all  Egypt. 

Now  Jesus,  in  the  arms  of  his 
mother,  whose  heart  is  gentle,  blessed 
Egypt;  and  all  the  boys  that  slept 
dead  within  the  earth  rose  up  from 
the  earth  alive  and  laughing,  and  in 
Egypt  there  was  a  great  cry  of  rejoic- 
ing  and   exulting  from  fathers  and 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


in  Aegypto  genitorum  genitricium- 
que.   Et  Jesus  ait:    Nam  sum  Vita. 

Tunc  e  Pharaone  evasit  malus  spi- 
ritus  in  forma  tenebrosae  aquilae  et 
fugit  cum  furiosis  vociferationibus  et 
disparuit;    nam  Mors  erat. 

Et  Pharao  prostratus  et  satellites 
rejicientes  arma  et  dracones  lenitis 
gulis  et  oculis  adoraverunt  Jesum  In- 
fantem  Dei  Filium  in  brachiis  Mariae 
cui  est  cor  dulce. 


[i88] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


mothers.  And  Jesus  said,  For  I  am 
Life. 

Then  the  evil  spirit  escaped  from 
out  of  Pharaoh  in  the  form  of  a  dark 
eagle,  and  fled  away  with  furious 
clamorings,  and  disappeared;  for  he 
was  Death. 

And  Pharaoh  falling  on  his  face, 
and  his  courtiers  casting  away  their 
arms,  and  the  dragons  with  their 
mouths  and  eyes  softened,  worshipped 
the  Child  Jesus,  the  Son  of  God,  in 
the  arms  of  his  mother  whose  heart 
is  gentle. 


[189] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  ^eytumtiecimum* 

TTAMEN  post  tres  annos, 
Maria  et  Joseph  cum  Jesu 
liquerunt  Aegyptum  ut  fo- 
ret  expletum  verbum  prophetae:  Vo- 
cavi  filium  meum  de  Aegypto. 

At  quum  ad  Judaeum  prope  ac- 
cesserunt,  Joseph  dubitavit  an  in 
patriam  regrediretur;  nam  dixerunt 
ei  Herodem  mortuum  esse  et  filium 
ejus  Archelaum  in  throno  sedere. 
Sed  Angelus  Domini  Joseph  apparuit 
et  dixit:  O  Joseph,  intra  in  urbem 
[190] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


lEVERTHELESS,  after  three 
years,  Mary  and  Joseph  de- 
parted with  Jesus  out  of 
Egypt,  that  the  word  of  the  prophet 
might  be  fulfilled,  From  Egypt  have 
I  called  my  Son. 

Yet  as  they  drew  nigh  unto  Judea, 
Joseph  questioned  within  himself 
whether  he  should  return  into  his 
own  country;  for  he  had  heard  that 
Herod  was  dead,  and  that  his  son 
Archelaus  was  seated  upon  the  throne. 
But  the  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared 
to  Joseph,  and  said,  O  Joseph,  enter 
into  the  town  of  Nazareth,  and  dwell 

C191] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Nazareth  et  in  ilia  urbe  habita  cum 
ma-tre  et  filio. 

Dubitabat  adhuc  Joseph,  quia  cru- 
deliorem  Herode  Archelaum  formi- 
dabat.  Puer  autem  ait:  Quid  refert 
Patri  meo  malus  malo  pejor?  Quos 
vult  devincere  quiqui  sint  evincit,  Et 
Jesus  monstravit  Joseph  vepreculam 
siccis  spinis  hirsutam  et  ait :  Aude- 
resne  trans  istam  vepreculam  ince- 
dere  ?  Joseph  respondit :  Auderem, 
nam  siccis  spinis  ista  veprecula  mihi 
nocere  non  posset.  Tunc  Jesus  mon- 
stravit Joseph  vepreculam  vivis  viri- 
dibusque  spinis  horridam  et  ait:  Au- 
[192] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


in  that  town  with  the  mother  and 
her  son. 

Still  Joseph  questioned  within 
himself,  for  he  dreaded  Archelaus  as 
more  cruel  than  Herod.  But  the  Boy 
said,  What  matters  to  my  Father  an 
evil  man  worse  than  an  evil  man? 
Those  whom  he  wills  to  vanquish, 
whosoever  they  be,  he  vanquisheth. 
And  Jesus  showed  Joseph  a  little 
brier-bush,hairy  with  withered  thorns, 
and  said,  Wouldst  thou  dare  to  pass 
through  this  little  brier-bush?  Jo- 
seph answered,  I  would,  for  with  its 
dry  thorns,  this  little  brier-bush  could 
do  me  no  hurt.  Then  Jesus  showed 
Joseph  a  little  brier-bush  bristling 
with  green  and  living  thorns,  and  said, 

[193] 


Evangeltum  Infantiae 


deresne  trans  istam  vepreculam 
incedere  ?  Joseph  respondit  :  Non 
auderem  nam  vigentibus  spinis  ista 
veprecula  mihi  valde  noceret.  Jesus 
autem  ignem  fecit  sub  veprecula  et 
foco  torsae  virides  spinae  ceciderunt 
et  in  cinerem  evanuerunt  et  divus 
Infans :  Credisne  iram  patris  mei  mi- 
nus fortiorem  cantra  formidabilissi- 
mum  regum  quam  ilamma  in  spinam 
urticae. 

Et  intellexit  Joseph  et  in  urbem 
ingressi  sunt. 


[194] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


Would'st  thou  dare  to  pass  through 
this  brier-bush?  Joseph  answered, 
That  would  I  not,  for  with  its  living 
thorns,  this  little  brier-bush  would 
do  me  much  hurt.  But  Jesus  made 
a  fire  beneath  the  little  brier-bush; 
and  twisted  in  the  flame,  the  green 
thorns  died  and  vanished  into  ashes; 
and  the  Divine  Child  said,  Thinkest 
thou  the  wrath  of  my  Father  less 
strong  against  the  most  formidable 
of  kings  than  flame  upon  the  thorn 
of  a  nettle? 

And  Joseph  understood,  and  they 
entered  into  the  city. 


[195] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  ^eptimumtiecimum^ 

jv^^JUADAM   die,  Jesus   infans, 


^^^i  qui  in  eo  tempore  quinquen- 
nis  erat,  jocabat  in  npa  flu- 
minis  cum  pluribus  puellis;  et  isti 
profundebant  in  parvulis  sulcis  aquam 
quam  intra  manus  ceperant.  Et  divo' 
Puero  non  necesse  erat  in  manu 
aquam  capere,  quippe  signo  aqua 
velut  sponse  sua  veniebat  in  sulcum 
quem  foderat, 

Et  terra  aquae  mixta  finxit  aves 
et  ilia  dies  erat  dies  Sabbati. 

Aliquis  Judaeus  vidit  quod  Jesus 
[196] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


IN  a  certain  day  the  Child 
Jesus,  who  was  then  five 
years  of  age,  played  on  a  riv- 
er bank  with  several  young  children; 
and  these  poured  into  little  ditches 
water  which  they  had  taken  up  be- 
tween their  hands.  And  the  Divine 
Boy  had  no  need  to  take  up  the  wa- 
ter in  his  hands,  for  at  a  sign  from 
him  the  water  came  of  its  own  ac- 
cord into  the  ditch  that  he  had  digged. 
And  he  fashioned  birds  of  earth 
mixed  with  water,  and  that  day  was 
the  Sabbath  day. 

A  certain  Jew  saw  what  Jesus  did; 

[197] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


agebat  et  ad  Joseph  accurrens  dixit 

ei:    Ecce   tuus  filius  jocans  in  ripa 

fluminis,  et  finxit  aves  terra  aquae 

mixta  et  Sabbatum  violavit. 

Joseph  venit  ergo  ad  ripam  ubi  In- 

fans  cum  aliis  pueris  ludo  indulge- 

bat  et  videns  sua  vice  quod  fecerat 

Jesus  clamavit:  Cur  agis  quod  nefas? 

Cur  die  Sabbati  laboras  in  jocis?    Et 

primo  Jesus  non  respondit  et  habebat 

in  manus  aves  quas  finxerat.    Rursus 

Joseph:    Cur  agis   quod  nefas,  male 

pusio?  Cur  die  Sabbati  laboras?  Nee 
[198] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


and  hastening  to  Joseph,  said  to  him, 
Behold  thy  son  playing  on  the  river 
bank,  and  of  earth  mixed  with  water 
he  hath  fashioned  birds,  and  he  hath 
broken  the  Sabbath. 

Joseph  came  therefore  to  the  bank 
where  the  Child  was  joining  in  games 
with  other  boys,  and  seeing  in  turn 
what  Jesus  had  done,  he  cried  out. 
Why  doest  thou  a  forbidden  thing? 
Why  dost  thou  work  in  playing  on 
the  Sabbath  day?  And  Jesus  an- 
swered not  at  first;  and  he  had  in 
his  hands  the  birds  that  he  had  fash- 
ioned. Joseph  said  again,  Why  doest 
thou  a  forbidden  thing,  evil  wretch? 
Why  dost  thou  do  work  on  the  Sab- 
bath day?    And  Jesus  answered  not, 

[199] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


respondit  Jesus  et  novas  aves  terra 
aquae  mixta  intra  digitos  fingebat. 

Ira  incensus,  Joseph  brachium  sus- 
tulit  ut  inobedientem  puerum  casti- 
garet.  At  Jesus,  bile  mota,  caput 
sublevavit  et  pede  solum  pulsavit  et 
terra  factas  aves  in  aer  furiosus  ejecit. 
Et  aves  levibus  alis  evolaverunt  in 
Coelum  Domini. 


[  200] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


and  between  his  fingers  he  fashioned 
new  birds  of  earth  mixed  with  water. 
Burning  with  anger,  Joseph  raised 
his  arm  to  chastise  the  unyielding 
Boy.  But  Jesus,  moved  to  wrath, 
lifted  up  his  head,  and  stamped  upon 
the  ground  with  his  foot,  and  the 
birds  made  of  earth  he  threw  furious- 
ly in  the  air.  And  the  birds  flew,  with 
outstretched  wings,  into  the  Heaven 
of  our  Lord. 


[201] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  flDctabumDectmum* 

N  quadam  civitate  dolebat  ma- 
ter cujus  filius  trimulus  dae- 
moniacus  erat;  et  in  illo  ve- 
hementer  furebat  Satanas  et  iste 
miserabilis  infans  quosquos  videbat 
mordere  tentabat  et,  cum  solus  erat, 
mordebat  proprias  manus  suas  et 
brachia  et,  proclinatus,  pedes. 

Hujusce   pueri   mater,  audiens 

quod  dicebatur  de  Maria  et  Jesu,  ad 

eos  perrexit,  daemoniacum  contra  se 

tenens.    Et  forte  cum  intravit  in 

[  202  ] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


N  a  certain  city  mourned  a 
mother  whose  three-year-old 
son  was  possessed  of  a  devil; 
and  Satan  raged  vehemently  within 
him;  and  this  unhappy  child  sought 
to  bite  whomsoever  he  saw,  and  when 
he  was  alone,  he  bit  his  own  hands 
and  his  arms  and,  stooping,  his  feet 
also. 

When  the  mother  of  this  boy  heard 
what  was  said  concerning  Mary  and 
Jesus,  she  went  unto  them,  holding 
against  herself  the  child  possessed  of 
a  devil.  And  as  she  entered  into  the 
inn  where  the  divine  wayfarers  had 

[203] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


diversorium,  in  quo  pernoctaverant 
diviperegrini,  Jesus  in  lecto  dormie- 
bat. 

Quem  videns,  furiosus  puer  cla- 
mavit  horribili  voce  et  manus  por- 
rexit  et  atroces  dentes  monstravit; 
et,  si  mater  sua  non  coercuisset  eum, 
Jesum  devoravisset.  Tamen  Virgo 
Maria  non  depulit  daemoniacum  et 
ad  filiolum  suum  sese  incurvans: 
Quoniam  tibi  cedunt  daemones,dae- 
monem  expulsa  e  corpore  istius  pu- 
elli.  Vero  Jesus  dormiebat  nee  e  som- 
no  suscitabatur.  Maria  rursus  ait  : 
Quoniam  tibi  cedunt  daemones,  dae- 
monem  expulsa  e  corpore  istius  pu- 
[204] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


passed  the  night,  Jesus  by  chance 
was  in  his  bed  asleep. 

Seeing  him,  the  furious  boy  cried 
out  in  a  terrible  voice,  and  stretched 
forth  his  hands,  and  showed  his  fierce 
teeth;  and  he  would  have  devoured 
Jesus  if  his  mother  had  not  restrained 
him.  Yet  the  Virgin  Mary  rejected 
not  this  boy  possessed  of  a  devil,  and 
bending  down  to  her  little  son,  she 
said  to  him.  Since  the  devils  are  sub- 
ject to  thee,  drive  the  devil  from  the 
body  of  this  young  child.  Now  Jesus 
slept,  nor  was  he  roused  from  sleep. 
Mary  said  again.  Since  the  devils  are 
subject  to  thee,  drive  forth  the  devil 
from  the  body  of  this  young  child. 
[205] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


elli.   At  Jesus  semper  dormiebat  nee 
e  somno  suscitatus  est. 

Tunc  mater  daemoniaci  cum  mi- 
serabili  puero  abiit;  sola  vice  Jesus 
matri  dolorosae  remedium  negave- 
rat;  et  daemon  manuit  in  corpore 
trimuli  infantis  et  nunquam  ex  isto 
corpore  evasit  ut  res  perficierentur 
secundum  prophetias.  Nam  ille 
puer  nominabatur  Judas. 


[206] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


But  Jesus  slept  on,  nor  was  he  aroused 
from  sleep. 

Then  the  mother  of  the  child  pos- 
sessed of  a  devil  departed  with  the 
miserable  boy.  Once  only  Jesus  had 
denied  relief  to  a  sorrowing  mother; 
and  the  devil  abode  in  the  body  of 
the  three-year-old  child,  and  never 
did  he  depart  from  out  that  body, 
that  all  things  might  be  accomplished 
according  to  the  prophecies.  For 
that  boy  was  named  Judas. 


[207] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  l^onumtiecimum* 

LIAdie,in  menseAdar,  Jesus 
pueros  congregavit  et  eos  or- 
dinavit  ita  ut  rex  eorum  es- 
set;  et  vestes  in  solo  extenderunt  ut 
in  textis  sederet  et  in  frontem  ejus 
florum  coronam  posuerunt  et,  sicut 
satellites  qui  regem  circumdant,  dex- 
tra  sinistraque  stabant  reverenter.  Et 
si  quidam  subveniebant,  pueri  ilium 
apprehendebant  et  dicebant :  Veni 
et  saluta  regem  ut  tibi  sit  iter  fortu- 
natum. 

Tunc    subvenerunt    homines   qui 
[208] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


NOTHERday,in  the  month 
of  Adar,  Jesus  gathered  boys 
together,  and  placed  them 
in  order  as  if  he  had  been  their  king; 
and  they  spread  out  their  garments 
on  the  ground,  that  he  might  be 
seated  upon  stuffs;  and  upon  his 
brow  they  put  a  crown  of  flowers; 
and  as  courtiers  surround  a  king, 
they  stood  reverently  on  his  right 
hand  and  on  his  left.  And  if  any  man 
passed  that  way  the  boys  caught  him, 
and  said.  Come  and  hail  the  King, 
that  thy  journey  may  prosper  thee. 
Then  there  passed  that  way  men 

[  209  ] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


ferebant  adolescentulum  in  lectica. 
Iste  adolescentulus  iverat  per  mon- 
tem  cum  sodalibus  ut  lignum  colli- 
geret  et,  invento  nido  perdicis,  ma- 
num  injecit  credens  ova  capere.  At 
serpens  qui  se  in  nido  absconderat 
momordit  ilium.  Et  nunc  moribun- 
dus  in  lectica  ad  urbem  ferebatur. 

Pueri,  qui  Dominum  Jesum  sicut 
regem  circumdabant,  occurrerunt 
lecticariis,  dicentes:  Venite  et  salutate 
regem.  Et  Jesus  ipse  appropinquavit, 
interrogans  cur  adolescentulum  por- 
tarent.  Et  responderunt  serpentem 
ilium  momordisse,  et  tunc  Dominus 
[210] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


who  were  bearing  a  youth  upon  a 
litter.  This  little  youth  had  gone 
with  friends  over  a  mountain  to  gath- 
er wood;  and  coming  upon  a  part- 
ridge nest,  he  had  thrust  in  his  hand, 
thinking  to  take  out  eggs.  But  a  ser- 
pent which  had  hidden  itself  in  the 
nest  stung  him.  And  now,  nigh  unto 
death,  he  was  brought  to  the  town 
upon  a  litter. 

The  boys  who  surrounded  the  Lord 
Jesus  as  their  king,  ran  to  the  litter- 
bearers,  saying.  Come  and  hail  the 
King.  And  Jesus  himself  drew  nigh, 
asking  why  they  were  carrying  the 
youth.  And  they  answered  that  a  ser- 
pent had  stung  him;  and  then  the 

[211] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Jesus   pueris :    Eamus   et   serpentem 
occidamus. 

Cum  ad  nidum  accesserunt,  se- 
quentibus  lecticariis  divus  Infans  di- 
xit :  Nonne  hie  sese  abseondit  ser- 
pens ?  Et  homines  responderunt  : 
Hie  sese  abseondit.  Tunc  Jesus  vo- 
cavit  serpentem  qui  statim  e  nido 
ortus  est  et  sese  Unigenito  subjecit. 
Et  Dominus :  I  et  venenum  suge 
quod  in  venulis  adolescentuli  profu- 
disti.  Et  serpens  suxit  omne  vene- 
num quod  pro  fuderatetemortuus  est; 
at  sanatus  est  adolescens  et  ploranti 
[212] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


Lord  Jesus  said  to  the  boys,  Let  us  go 
and  slay  the  serpent. 

When  they  were  come  to  the  nest, 
the  Divine  Child  said  to  the  litter- 
bearers  following  him,  Is  it  not  here 
that  the  serpent  hath  hidden  himself? 
And  the  men  answered.  Here  hath  he 
hidden  himself.  Then  Jesus  called 
the  serpent,  which  came  forth 
straightway  from  his  nest,  and  was 
subject  to  the  Only  Begotten  Son. 
And  the  Lord  said,  Go  and  suck  the 
venom  that  thou  hast  poured  forth 
into  the  veins  of  the  little  youth. 
And  the  serpent  sucked  all  the  ven- 
om that  he  had  poured  forth,  and 
perished;  but  the  youth  was  made 
whole;    and  as  he  wept,  Jesus  said  to 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Jesus  dixit :  Ne  plores,  nam  eris  dis- 
cipulus  meus.  Et  postea  dictus  est 
hie  puer  Simo  Cananaeus. 


[214] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


him,  Weep  not,  for  thou  shalt  be  my 
disciple.  And  the  boy  thereafter  was 
called  Simon  the  Canaanite. 


[215] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  i^icejSimum* 

i^^^JUADAM   die,  Maria  Virgo 

i^^R  Mater  jusserat  Domino  Jesu 

ut   iret   ad    puteum,  aquam 


hausiturus.  Nam  Mariae,  quae  se  dili- 
genter  domi  curis  praebebat,  aqua 
opus  erat  ad  parietes  coenaculi  et 
liminis  scansilia  lavanda.  Et  quaesi- 
vit  puteum  Dominus  Jesus  et  rediit, 
portans  seriam  aquae  plenam. 

At  dum  rediebat,  seria   quam   in 

capite  ferebat  fracta  est ;    et  Infans 

timuit  ne  mater  sua  cui  aqua  opus 

erat  ilium  objurgaret  et  pallium  ex- 

[216] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


%\^t  Ctoentfetl^  Ci^apter* 


^^^^N  a  certain  day  the  Virgin 
Mary  had  commanded  Jesus 
to   go   to  the  well  to  draw 


^ 


water.  For  Mary,  who  was  busying 
herself  diligently  with  the  care  of  the 
house,  had  need  of  water  to  wash 
the  walls  of  the  dining-chamber  and 
the  threshold  steps.  And  the  Lord 
Jesus  sought  the  well,  and  came  again 
carrying  a  pitcher  full  of  water. 

But  as  he  returned,  the  pitcher 
which  he  bore  upon  his  head,  brake 
and  the  Child  was  afraid  that  his 
mother,  who  had  need  of  water,  would 
chide  him;    and  he  stretched  out  his 

[aiy] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


tendit  et  totam  aquam  quae,  rupta 
seria,  fluebat,  in  pallio  recepit. 

Hoc  viso,  Virgo  Maria  stupuit 
quia  inter  laxum  textile  aqua  non 
meabat.  Tamenlavavitcoenaculipa- 
rietes  et  scansilia  liminis;  et  lignum 
parietum  aurum  factum  est  et  mar- 
mor  liminis  saxum. 

Postea  reliquum  aquae  sparsit  in 

hortum  ;    quo  aqua  cecidit  magnum 

lilium  statim  exstitit  et  una  gutta  bi- 

bita  coluber  qui  intra  herbas  repta- 

bat,  subito  dissiluit. 
[ai8] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


mantle,  and  caught  again  in  it  all 
the  water  that  flowed  from  the  bro- 
ken pitcher. 

Seeing  this,  the  Virgin  Mary  was 
astonished,  because  the  water  did  not 
pass  through  the  loose  cloth.  Never- 
theless she  washed  the  walls  of  the 
dining-chamber  and  the  threshold 
steps;  and  the  wood  of  the  walls  was 
made  gold,  and  marble  the  stone  of 
the  threshold. 

After  these  things  she  scattered  the 
rest  of  the  water  in  the  garden. 
Where  the  water  fell,  there  grew  up 
straightway  a  great  lily;  and  having 
drunk  one  drop,  an  adder  that  was 
crawling  through  the  grass  burst  sud- 
denly asunder. 

[219] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  l^nmum  et  i^icejsimum^ 

ji^Sg-J  UADAM  die,  multae  muli- 
i^^W   eres  quae  filios  habebant  ad- 


hue  infantulos  inter  se  lo- 
quebantur,  uti  mos  est  matrum,  de 
rebus  quas  sors  natis  suis  afferret,  Et 
Virgo  Maria  cum  iis  erat. 

Et  una  filium  suum  interrogans : 
Quis  in  tempore  futuro  esse  velles, 
carum  caput  ?  Et  respondit  puer : 
Tinctor  esse  vellem;  nam  mihi  pla- 
ceret  pannos  diversis  et  nitidis  colo- 
ribus  pingere.  Et  secunda  filium  in- 
terrogans :  Quis  in  tempore  futuro 
[  220] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


CtDentt'fitjit  Cl^aptet* 


^r^j^N  a  certain  day  many  women 


who  had  sons  that  as  yet  were 
little  children,  talked  one 
with  another,  after  the  manner  of 
mothers,  concerning  those  things 
which  chance  should  bring  to  their 
offspring.  And  the  Virgin  Mary  was 
with  them. 

And  one  asked  her  son.  What 
wouldst  thou  be  in  the  time  to  come, 
dear  heart?  And  the  boy  made  an- 
swer, I  would  be  a  dyer;  for  it  would 
please  me  to  tint  garments  with  divers 
and  brilliant  colors.  And  a  second 
asked  her  son.  What  wouldst  thou 

[221] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


esse  velles,  carum  caput  ?  Et  respon- 
dit  puer :  Margaritarius  esse  vellem, 
nam  mihi  placeret  cum  gemmis  ada- 
mantibusque  jocare  qui  lucent  sicut 
minima  sidera.  Et  tertia  etiam  filium 
interrogavit  et  respondit  puer:  Mi- 
les esse  vellem  ut  per  populos  ince- 
dam  sonantibus  armis  ornatus  et  in 
tuba  horrifice  sufflans.  Et  quarta  eti- 
am filium  interrogavit  et  respondit 
puer  :  Hortulanus  esse  vellem,  nam 
rosae  et  alii  flores  grati  sunt  oculis 
et  mihi  placeret  odorem  liliorum 
odorari  sicut  thus  thuribuli.  Et  alii 
matribus  aliis  pueri  diverse  responde- 
bant. 

[  222  ] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


be  in  the  time  to  come,  dear  heart? 
And  the  boy  made  answer,  I  would 
be  a  jeweller;  for  it  would  please  me 
to  play  with  gems  and  diamonds, 
which  shine  like  very  small  stars. 
And  also  a  third  asked  her  son,  and 
the  boy  made  answer,  I  would  be  a 
soldier,  to  go  among  the  people 
adorned  with  clankingarms  and  blow- 
ing terribly  in  a  trumpet.  And  also 
a  fourth  asked  her  son,  and  the  boy 
made  answer,  I  would  be  a  gardener; 
for  roses  and  other  flowers  are  grate- 
ful to  mine  eyes,  and  it  would  please 
me  to  smell  the  scent  of  lilies  like  in- 
cense in  a  censer.  And  the  other  boys, 
when  their  mothers  asked  them,  made 
divers  answers. 


[223] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Et  cum  Maria  Unigenitum  in- 
terrogans dixit :  Quis  in  tempore 
futuro  esse  velles,  filiole  mi  ?  divus 
Infans  respondit :  Volo  fieri  qui  Pa- 
tre  volente  futurus  sum  et  gentes  me 
adorabunt  regem  Judaeorum. 

Omnes  matres  riserunt  et  Maria 
risit  ipsa  propter  arrogantiam  puelli 
qui  se  regem  Judaeorum  salutandum 
crederet.  Et  quaedam  mulier  per  lu- 
dibrium :  Sane  ex  auro  aut  argento 
aut  ebore  factus  erit  thronus  in  quem 
ascendes.  At  Unigenitus:  Nee  ebore 
nee  argento  nee  auro  sed  ligno,  et, 
si  me  sequi  non  nolite,  vobis  mon- 
[224] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


And  when  Mary,  in  asking  the 
Only  Begotten  Son,  said,  What 
wouldst  thou  be  in  the  time  to  come, 
my  little  son?  the  Divine  Child  made 
answer,  I  will  be  what,  by  my  Fath- 
er's will,  I  am  to  be;  and  nations 
shall  worship  me  as  King  of  the  Jews. 

All  the  mothers  laughed,  and  Mary 
herself  laughed,  because  of  the  young 
child's  vainglory,  who  thought  to  be 
hailed  King  of  the  Jews.  And  a  cer- 
tain woman  said,  to  mock  him.  Sure- 
ly of  gold  or  of  silver  or  of  ivory 
shall  the  throne  be  made  which  thou 
shalt  mount  upon.  But  the  Only 
Begotten  Son  said.  Neither  of  ivory 
nor  of  silver  nor  of  gold,  but  of  wood; 
and  if  ye  refuse  not  to  follow  me,  I 

[225] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


strabo  arborem  ex  qua  factus  erit 
thronus  meus.  Et  matres  omnes  cum 
Maria  secutae  sunt  ilium  attonitae  et 
velut  aliquid  mirabile  visurae,  nam 
loquebatur  cum  moestitia  et  cum 
auctoritate. 

Et  duxit  eas  per  campos  et  vicu- 
los  usque  ad  tenebrosam  silvam  in 
qua  quercus  adhuc  tenera  e  terra  vix 
oriebatur  prope  fluentem  aquam.  Et 
dixit  divus  Infans:  Ecce  futurum 
thronum !  Et  lacrymavit  Dominulus 
Jesus. 

Nee  matres  nee  Maria  intellige- 
bant  rationem  propter  quam  pro- 
fundebat  lacrymas.  Ignarae  totarum 
gentium  orbis  terrae  cruce  salvan- 
darum. 

[226] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


will  show  you  the  tree  of  which  my 
throne  shall  be  made.  And  all  the 
mothers  with  Mary  followed,  aston- 
ished, and  as  if  about  to  see  some 
marvellous  thing;  for  he  spake  in 
sadness  and  with  authority. 

And  he  led  them  through  fields 
and  by-ways  even  to  a  dark  forest  in 
which  a  still  tender  oak  was  just  com- 
ing up  out  of  the  earth  near  flowing 
water.  And  the  Divine  Child  said, 
Behold  the  throne  that  shall  be!  And 
the  little  Lord  Jesus  wept. 

Neither  the  mothers  nor  Mary 
understood  wherefore  he  shed  tears, 
knowing  not  that  all  nations  of  the 
world  should  be  saved  by  the 
Cross. 


[227] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  ^ecttttnum  et  i^icejSimum^ 

lAEPISSIME,  Virgo  Maria 
mirabatur  quoniam  in 
domo  quam  nulla  serva  cu- 
rabat  omnia  disposita  et  ordinata 
erant  sicut  a  duodecim  servis  soler- 
tibus  et  diligentibus. 

Scilicet  mane  intrans  in  aulam  ubi 
lintea  ut  siccarentur  extenderat  Virgo 
Maria  non  reperiebat  lintea;  sed  jam 
in  armariis  domus  erant  convenienter 
siccata  et  recte  plicata.  Alias  jam  fla- 
grantem  loci  flammam  videbat,  quem 
non  accenderat  ipsa;  aut  si  agebat 
ut  fercula  coenae  condiret,  jam  fer- 
[228] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


ERY  often  the  Virgin  Mary 
marvelled  because,  in  the 
house  which  no  servant  tend- 
ed, all  things  w^ere  disposed  and  set 
in  order  as  if  by  twelve  dextrous  and 
diligent  servants. 

Thus,  entering  at  morning  into  a 
court  where  she  had  spread  her  linen 
to  dry,  the  Virgin  Mary  found  not 
the  linen;  but  it  was  already  in  the 
wardrobes  ofthehouse,  properly  dried 
and  rightly  folded.  At  other  times 
she  saw  the  fire  of  the  furnace  burn- 
ing, which  she  herself  had  not  kin- 
dled;   or  if  she  set  about  preparing 

[229] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


cula  condita  erant,  ac  olera  quae 
foliis  truncare  volebat  ut  intritam 
faceret,jam  defoliata  erant;  aut  cum 
ante  noctem  tempus  erat  lectorum 
sternendorum  jam  in  cubili  lecta 
strata  erant,  aut  luce  oriente  cum  e 
thalamo  surgeret  ut  scopa  verreret 
tabulamenta  domus,  jam  munda  et 
pura  tabulamenta  nitebantur. 

Et  Maria  Virgo  non  intelligebat 
a  quo  ista  hocce  modo  fierent  et  non 
animadvertebat  Infantem  Jesum  ri- 
dentem  in  angulis  sicut  puer  qui  ma- 
litiosum  ludum  exhibuit. 

Joseph  ipsum  qui  modicus  ligna- 
[230] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


dishes  for  supper,  the  dishes  were  al- 
ready prepared,  and  the  vegetables 
whose  leaves  she  wished  to  cut  off  to 
make  soup  were  already  leafless;  or 
when,  toward  night,  it  was  time  to 
spread  the  beds,  the  beds  were  already 
spread  in  the  bedrooms;  or  at  the 
dawn  of  day,  when  she  came  forth 
from  her  bed-chamber  to  sweep  the 
floors  of  the  house,  the  floors  shone 
already  clean  and  pure. 

And  the  Virgin  Mary  understood 
not  by  whom  these  things  were  done 
after  this  fashion;  and  she  regarded 
not  the  Child  Jesus  laughing  in  cor- 
ners like  a  boy  who  has  played  a 
knavish  trick. 

Joseph  himself,  who  was  but  a 

[231] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


rius  erat,  adjuvabat  Dominus  Jesus; 
lignum  serra  secans  vel  tabulas  run- 
cinans,  dum  senex  adhuc  in  lecto 
dormiebat,  et  resurgens  opifex,  qui 
non  operaverat,  vel  mensam  vel  ca- 
thedram  perfectam  videbat.  Et  dice- 
bat  attonitus:  Forte  sum  similis  istis 
aegris  per  somnum  ambulantibus  aut 
forte  hesternae  coenae  nimio  vino 
motus  apte  laboravi  in  vini  anhelitu. 
Et  in  angulo  officinae  subridebat  Je- 
sus Infans, 

Attamen  opera  quae  Joseph  assue- 
tis  emptoribus  tradebat  tam  egregia 
[232] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


modest  carpenter,  the  Lord  Jesus 
aided,  cutting  wood  with  a  saw,  or 
planing  boards,  while  the  old  man 
still  slept  in  bed;  and  when  he  arose, 
the  workman  who  had  not  worked 
found  either  a  table  or  a  chair  quite 
finished.  And  he  said  in  astonish- 
ment, I  am  perchance  like  those  sick 
persons  that  walk  in  their  sleep,  or 
moved  perchance  by  too  much  wine 
at  yesterday's  supper,  I  have  worked 
skilfully  in  the  fumes  of  wine.  And 
in  a  corner  of  the  shop  the  Child 
Jesus  was  smiling. 

Nevertheless  the  works  which  Jo- 
seph gave  over  to  his  accustomed 
purchasers  were  so  unusual,  that  he 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


erant  ut  famam  acceperit  excellen- 
tissimi  lignariL 

Rex  Hierosolymae  advocavit  il- 
ium et  dixit:  Jubeo,  Joseph,  ut 
mihi  thronum  fingas  secundum  men- 
suram  loci  in  quo  soleo  sedere. 

Joseph  obediit. 

Et  per  duos  annos  in  regia  aede 
manuit  ad  thronum  fingendum;  at 
cum  thronus  allatus  fuisset  in  locum 
cui  applicandus  erat,  omnibus  appa- 
ruit  una  et  altera  parte  brevior  dua- 
bus  spithamis.  Tunc  rex  ira  incen- 
sus  est  in  Joseph.  Et  lignarius  regis 
[^34] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


gained  the  reputation  of  a  most  ex- 
cellent carpenter. 

The  King  of  Jerusalem  summoned 
him,  and  said,  I  command  thee,  Jo- 
seph, to  fashion  for  me  a  throne 
according  to  the  measure  of  the 
place  where  I  am  accustomed  to  sit. 

Joseph  obeyed.  And  for  two 
years  he  abode  in  the  royal  house- 
hold to  fashion  the  throne;  but 
when  the  throne  was  carried  to  the 
place  where  it  should  be  set,  it  was 
manifest  to  all  men  that,  on  one  side 
and  on  the  other,  it  was  short  by 
two  spithames.  Then  the  King  was 
kindled  to  anger  against  Joseph. 
And   the   carpenter,   dreading  the 


Rvangelium  Infantiae 


iram    formidans    nequivit    edere   et 
cubitavit  jejunus. 

Curjesu  interrogante  jejunus  re- 
cubabat,  Joseph  respondit  opus  quod 
per  duos  annos  operaverat  perditum 
esse.  At  Jesus :  Bibe  et  manduca 
absque  metu.  Ego  una,  tu  altera 
parte  istum  thronum  attrahamus  ut 
sit  conveniens  loco.  Et  quod  dice- 
bat  Jesus  factum  est,  et  cum  Jesus 
una,  Joseph  altera  parte  regiam  ca- 
thedram  attraxerunt,  thronus  obse- 
cutus  est  et  mensuram  exactam  con- 
tigit.  Et  omnes  stupuerunt  qui  istud 
miraculum  videre  et  Deum  adora- 
verunt. 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


King's  anger,  could  not  eat,  and  lay 
down  fasting. 

When  Jesus  asked  him  why  he 
lay  down  fasting,  Joseph  answered 
that  the  work  was  lost  on  which  he 
had  labored  for  two  years.  But 
Jesus  said,  Drink  and  eat  without 
fear.  I  on  one  side,  thou  on  the 
other,  let  us  draw  out  this  throne 
to  fit  the  place.  And  what  Jesus 
said  was  done.  And  when  Jesus  on 
one  side  and  Joseph  on  the  other 
had  drawn  out  the  royal  seat,  the 
throne  yielded,  and  reached  the  just 
measure.  And  all  they  that  saw  this 
miracle  were  astonished,  and  wor- 
shipped God. 

[237] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Vero  is  thronus  fabricatus  erat  e 
ligno  cedri  sub  qua  in  silva  Libani 
sederat  Salomo  filius  David;  et  lig- 
num ornatum  erat  diversis  formis 
figurisque. 


[238] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


Now  this  throne  was  made  of 
wood  from  the  cedar  under  which 
Solomon,  son  of  David,  had  sat  in 
the  forest  of  Lebanon;  and  the 
wood  was  adorned  with  divers  forms 
and  figures. 


{.'^^91 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  Certium  et  a^icejsimum 


i^^gyUADAM  die,  Dominus  Jesus 


yjj^g^l  erat  cum  pueris  in  tecto  vil- 
^^      lae   et  jocabant   pueriliter. 


Et  unus  e  pueris  a  tecto  cecidit  et 
caput  suum  in  saxum  efFregit. 

Evaserunt  collusores;  Jesus  ma- 
nuit  solus  in  tecto  et  parentes  mor- 
tui  videntes  Jesum  dixerunt  ei  cum 
clamoribus  et  minis:  Tu  es  qui  fi- 
lium  nostrum  occidisti.  Jesus  respon- 
dit :  Filium  vestrum  non  occidi  et 
cecidit,  a  nemine  pulsatus.  At  pa- 
rentes  in  majoribus  vociferationibus : 
[240] 


"The  Childhood  of  Christ 


Cl^e  Ctaent^^l^irD  Ci^apter* 


^^^^N  a  certain  day  Jesus,  with 


[l^NyjM  other  boys,  was  on  the  roof 
'r?^— :^iJ  of  a   country-house,  and 


they  were  playing  boyishly.  And 
one  of  the  boys  fell  from  the  roof 
and  broke  his  head  against  a  stone. 
His  playmates  fled;  Jesus  alone 
remained  upon  the  roof;  and  the 
parents  of  the  dead  boy  seeing  Jesus, 
said  to  him  with  outcries  and 
threats.  It  is  thou  that  hast  slain  our 
son.  Jesus  made  answer.  Your  son 
did  I  not  slay,  and  he  fell  pushed 
by  no  one.  But  the  parents  an- 
swered with  yet  greater  clamorings, 

[241] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Tu  es  occisor  filii  nostri  quern  a  tec- 
to  pulsavisti.  Jesus  respondit  iterum: 
Non  sum  et  si  mihi  hoc  non  credi- 
tis,  interrogemus  puerum  ipsum.  Et 
Dominus  Jesus  descendit  et  pronus 
in  caput  mortui  dixit  forti  voce: 
Zeinon,  Zeinon,  quis  te  a  tecto  pul- 
savit?  Mortuus  respondit:  Tu  me 
pulsavisti,  fili  lignarii  Joseph. 

Haec  audiens,  parentes  et  paren- 
tium  servi  in  Jesum  ruerunt  cum 
fustibus  et  armis  ut  eum  interfice- 
rent.  At  divus  Infans  cum  subrisu: 
Non  locutus  est  Zeinon  ipse,  at  qui 
[242] 


'The  Childhood  of  Christ 


Thou  art  the  slayer  of  our  son 
whom  thou  hast  pushed  from  the 
roof.  Jesus  again  made  answer, 
That  I  am  not,  and  if  in  this  ye  be- 
lieve me  not,  let  us  question  the 
boy  himself.  And  the  Lord  Jesus 
came  down;  and  stooping  over  the 
face  of  the  dead,  he  spake  in  a  loud 
voice,  saying,  Zeinon,  Zeinon,  who 
pushed  thee  from  the  roof?  The 
dead  made  answer.  Thou  didst  push 
me,  son  of  Joseph  the  carpenter. 

When  they  heard  these  words, 
the  parents  and  the  parents'  men- 
servants  threw  themselves  upon  Jesus 
with  staves  and  with  arms  to  kill 
him.  But  the  Divine  Child  said  with 
a   smile,   Zeinon    himself  hath   not 

[243] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


in  Zeinonem,  anima  evolata,  intra- 
vit.  Vade  e  corpore  mortui  spiri- 
tus  male.  Tunc  statim  e  corpore 
mortui  evasit  daemon  in  forma  ni- 
gri  et  crocientis  corvi;  et  mortuus 
puer:  Non  es  qui  me  occidisti,  Jesu 
Dei  fili,  et  cecidi  a  nemine  pulsatus. 
Et  tacuit  aeterno. 

Tunc  parentes  et  servi  credide- 
runt  quod  Jesus  dixerat  et  adorave- 
runt  Infantem  qui  daemones  com- 
pellit  et  per  quem  Veritas  resurgit 
in  ore  mortuorum. 


[244] 


T'he  Childhood  of  Christ 


spoken,  but  he  that  entered  into 
Zeinon  when  his  soul  flew  forth. 
Evil  spirit,  go  out  from  the  dead 
body.  Then  straightway  the  evil 
spirit  went  out  from  the  dead  body, 
in  the  form  of  a  black  and  cawing 
crow;  and  the  dead  boy  spake,  say- 
ing, Thou  art  not  he  that  slew  me, 
Jesus,  Son  of  God;  and  I  fell  pushed 
by  no  one*  And  he  held  his  peace 
forever. 

Then  the  parents  and  their  ser- 
vants believed  what  Jesus  had  said, 
and  worshipped  the  Child  who 
driveth  forth  devils,  and  through 
whom  the  truth  is  raised  again  in 
the  mouth  of  the  dead. 


[^45] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  ^Juatttttn  et  aatcejsimum. 

LIA  die,  Dominus  Jesus, 
qui  luserat  in  via  cum  iis- 
dem  parvis  sociis,  ad  domum 
redibat  propter  horam  coenae;  puer 
currens  obviavit  illi  et  violenter  illi 
offendit.  Paene  prostratus  est  divus 
Infans,  et  moestissime  ploravit. 

Quod  videns,  Maria,  stans  in  li- 
mine domus,  dixit  filio  suo:  Qua 
ratione   ploras,   filiole   mi?    EfFun- 


[146] 


7he  Childhood  of  Christ 


MOTHER    day   the   Lord 


Jesus,  who  had  been  play- 
ing in  the  road  with  the 
same  little  comrades,  returned  to 
the  house,  because  it  was  time  for 
supper;  and  a  boy  encountered  him 
in  running,  and  violently  dashed 
against  him. 

The  Divine  Child  was  wellnigh 
overthrown.  And  he  bewailed  him- 
self most  sorrowfuly.  And  seeing  it, 
Mary,  who  was  standing  on  the 
threshold  of  the  house,  said  to  her 
son,  Wherefore  dost  thou  bewail 
thyself,   my  little   son?   Dost  thou 

[247] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


disne  lacrymas  mali  causa  quod  tibi 
fecit  iste  puer?  Tunc  Jesus:  Non 
ploro  quia  malum  mihi  inflixum  est, 
sed  quia  malum  altero  inflixurus 
sum.  Et  puero  dixit:  Euh!  frater 
mi,  quantum  in  corde  meo  dolent 
caritas  et  amor!  Euh!  me  miserum! 
Utinam  fuissem  qui  peccatum  fecit 
ut  solus  peccati  poenam  tollerem? 
Et  iterum  ploravit. 

Tandem    manum    super   frontem 
pueri  extendens:   Quoniam  pulsavis- 


[248] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


shed  tears  because  of  the  hurt  which 
this  boy  hath  done  thee?  Then 
Jesus  said,  I  bewail  myself,  not  be- 
cause a  hurt  hath  been  done  unto 
me,  but  because  I  must  do  a  hurt 
unto  another.  And  he  said  to  the 
boy,  Alas !  my  brother,  how  greatly 
do  charity  and  love  grieve  within 
my  heart!  Alas!  Woe  is  me!  Would 
that  I  were  he  that  committed  the 
sin,  that  I  alone  might  bear  the 
penalty  of  sin!  And  yet  again  he 
bewailed  himself. 

At  length,  stretching  forth  his 
hand  over  the  boy's  brow  he  said, 
Since  thou  hast  struck,  fall;  and 
since,  in  running,  thou  hast  dashed 

[249] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


ti,  cade,  et  quoniam  vitae  in  me  cur- 
rens  ofFendisti,  siste  in  morte, 

Statim  in  terram  cecidit  puer  et 
mortuus  est.  At  per  duodecim  dies 
lacrymavit  et  gemuit  et  sese  pugnis 
pectus  verberavit  Dominus  Jesus  et 
nolebat  consolari.  Quia  justitiam 
egerat. 


[250] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


against   the   life  within   me,   stand 
still  in  death. 

Straightway  the  boy  fell  to  the 
earth,  and  he  was  dead.  But  for 
twelve  days  the  Lord  Jesus  wept  and 
sighed  and  smote  upon  his  breast 
with  his  fists,  and  would  not  be  com- 
forted, because  he  had  dealt  justice. 


[^51] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  :©utntttm  et  ©tceisimum* 

NTERDUM  erat  Hierosoly- 
mae  quidam  magister  qui 
Zacchaeus  vocabatur;  et 
multi  discipuli  sequebantur  et  vene- 
rabantur  eum,  quia  nullius  scientiae 
ignarus  erat. 

Pertinentissime  loquebatur  de 
physica  et  metaphysica  et  hyper- 
physica  et  hypophysica;  sciebat 
corporum  virtutes  et  istorum  hu- 
mores  effectusque  et  numerum 
membrorum  ossiumque,  arteriarum 
nervorumque;  distinguebat  diversa 
temperamenta,  calidum  et  siccum 
[252] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


EANWHILE  there  was  in 
Jerusalem  a  certain  teacher 
called  Zacchaeus;  and 
many  disciples  followed  and  revered 
him,  because  he  was  ignorant  of  no 
knowledge. 

He  discoursed  very  pertinently 
concerning  physics  and  metaphysics 
and  hyperphysics  and  hypophysics; 
he  knew  the  virtues  of  bodies  and 
their  humors  and  eifects,  and  the 
number  of  their  members  and  bones, 
of  their  arteries  and  nerves :  he  dis- 
tinguished the  divers  temperaments, 
the  hot  and  dry,  or  the  cold  and 

[253] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


vel  frigidum  et  humidum;  et  prae- 
cipue  cognoscebat  numina  littera- 
rum.  Et  celeberrimus  florebat  per 
totam  urbem  Hierosolymam. 

Senex  Joseph,  qui  aliquam  pecu- 
niam  operibus  lignarii  quaesiverat, 
dixit  Virgini  Mariae:  Nonne  tempus 
est  nostrum  filiolum  Jesum  ad 
scholam  ducere  ut  discat  bonasscien- 
tias  homini  utiles?  Annuente  Maria, 
dixit  Domino  Jesu  Joseph:  Tempus 
est;  veni  mecum  apud  magistrum 
Zacchaeum.  At  puer  noluit  ire  ad 
scholam.  Quod  videns,  Joseph  ira  in- 
census  auriculam  Infantis  pervulsit! 
Et  Jesus:  Cur  me  torques,  insane 
senex,  scisne  me  tuum  esse?    et  ne- 

[^54] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


humid:  and  especially  was  he  ac- 
quainted with  the  power  of  letters. 
And  great  was  his  renown  through 
the  whole  city  of  Jerusalem. 

The  old  man  Joseph,  who  had 
gained  some  little  money  by  his 
works  of  carpentry,  said  to  the  Vir- 
gin Mary,  Is  it  not  time  to  take 
our  little  son  Jesus  to  school,  that 
he  may  learn  goodly  knowledge  that 
is  useful  to  a  man?  And  with  Mary's 
assent,  Joseph  said  to  the  Lord  Jesus, 
It  is  time:  come  with  me  to  Zac- 
chaeus,  the  teacher.  But  the  boy  re- 
fused to  go  to  school.  And  Joseph, 
kindled  to  anger,  boxed  the  Child's 
ear.  And  Jesus  said.  Why  tormentest 
thou  me,  mad  old  man;  knowest  thou 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


mini  suo  nocere  decet.  Attamen 
quia  obediens  parentibus  erat,  Joseph 
ad  scholam  secutus  est. 

Primo  magister  Zacchaeus  inter- 
rogans Jesum:  Scisne,  puer,  proferre 
litteram  Aleph?  Dominus  Jesu  re- 
spondit:  Hoc  scio.  Et  protulit: 
Aleph.  Tunc  magister  interrogans: 
Scisne,  puer,  proferre  litteram  Beth? 
Dominus  Jesus  respondit:  Hoc  scio; 
sed  Beth  non  proferam  nisi  antea  ex- 
plicaveris  quas  res  Aleph  significat. 
Haec  audiens,  Zacchaeus  discipulum 
verberare  voluit.  At  Infans  clara 
[^56] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


not  that  I  am  thine?  And  no  one 
should  do  injury  to  his  own.  Never- 
theless, because  he  was  obedient  to 
his  parents,  he  followed  Joseph  to 
the  school. 

At  first  when  the  teacher  Zac- 
chaeus  asked  Jesus,  Boy,  canst  thou 
pronounce  the  letter  Aleph?  The 
Lord  Jesus  answered,  I  can.  And  he 
pronounced  Aleph.  Then,  when  the 
teacher  asked  him.  Boy,  canst  thou 
pronounce  the  letter  Beth?  the  Lord 
Jesus  answered,  lean;  but  I  will  not 
pronounce  Beth  until  thou  hast  first 
explained  what  things  Aleph  signi- 
fieth.  And  hearing  these  things, 
Zacchaeus  would  have  scourged  his 
disciple.     But  in    a  clear  voice  the 

[^57] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


voce  explicavitquas  res  litterae  Aleph 
et  Beth  significant,  et  quarum  litte- 
rarum  forma  recta  est  et  quarum 
obliqua  et  quae  litterae  duplices  et 
quae  punctis  comitatae  aut  punctis 
carentes;  et  multas  res  docebat 
prorsus  quas  nunquam  magister  au- 
diverat  nee  in  libris  legerat. 

Et  cum  dixisset:  Attende  animum 
ad  verba  mea,  et  Aleph  et  Beth  et 
Gimel  et  Daleth  recitavit  et  omnes 
litteras  usque  ad  finem  alphabeti. 
Tunc  Zacchaeus:  Euh!  me  miserum, 
qui  in  scholam  accepi  scientiae  meae 
flagitium;  et  senex  magister  habeo 
puerum  magistrum.  Reduce  filiolum 
[258] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


Child  explained  what  things  the  let- 
ters Aleph  and  Beth  do  signify,  and 
of  what  letters  the  form  is  upright, 
and  of  which  slanting,  and  which 
letters  are  double,  and  which  are 
accompanied  with  dots  or  devoid  of 
dots;  and  many  things  he  taught 
further  which  the  teacher  had  never 
heard  nor  read  in  books. 

And  when  he  had  said.  Take  heed 
to  my  words,  and  had  recited  Aleph 
and  Beth  and  Gimel  and  Daleth  and 
all  the  letters  even  to  the  end  of  the 
alphabet,  then  said  Zacchaeus,  Alas ! 
woe  is  me  that,  in  my  school,  I  have 
suffered  disgrace  to  my  knowledge; 
and  I,  an  ancient  teacher,  have  a  boy 
for  my  teacher.   Take  back  thy  lit- 

[259] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


tuum,  frater  Joseph.  Nam  nescio 
pad  roborem  argumentorum  suorum 
nee  toUere  mentem  meam  usque  ad 
suam  doctrinam.  Iste  puer  super 
terram  non  natus  est;  forte  imperium 
habet  super  focum  vel  terrae  vel  fir- 
mamenti,  forte  generatus  est  ante 
creationem  mundi.  Nee  initium  nee 
finem  istius  infantis  cognosco.  Igitur 
reduce  ilium  in  domum  tuam,  frater 
Joseph;  quippe  est  aliquid  maxi- 
mum et  formidandissimum,  vel  Deus 
vel  angelus. 

Et  cum  reducto  in  domum  filiolo 
haec  audivisset  Virgo  Maria  ploravit 
[260] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


tie  son,  brother  Joseph;  for  I  cannot 
endure  the  strength  of  his  arguments 
nor  lift  up  my  mind  unto  his  doc- 
trine. This  boy  was  not  born  on 
earth:  perchance  hath  he  dominion 
over  the  earth's  fire  or  the  firma- 
ment's; perchance  was  he  begotten 
before  the  creation  of  the  world.  Of 
this  Child  I  know  neither  the  be- 
ginning nor  the  end.  Therefore  take 
him  back  to  thine  house,  brother 
Joseph.  Of  a  surety  he  is  something 
very  great  and  very  dreadful,  whether 
God  or  an  angel. 

And  after  the  little  Son  was 
brought  back  to  the  house,  the  Vir- 
gin Mary,  when  she  had  heard  these 
things,  bewailed  herself  most  sorrow- 

[261] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


moestissime;  nam  vel  Deus  vel  an- 
gelus  infans  mox  a  gremio  matris 
aversurus. 


[262] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


fully;  for  whether  God  or  an  angel, 
the  Child  must  soon  turn  from  his 
mother's  knee. 


[263] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


Caput  ^e]ctum  et  i^icessimum 

|UER  autem  crescebat,  et 
confortabatur,  plenus  sapi- 
entiae;  et  gratia  Dei  erat  in 
illo. 

Et  ibant  parentes  ejus  per  omnes 
annos  in  Hierosolymam,  in  die  so- 
lemni  Paschae.  Et  cum  factus  esset 
annorum  duodecim,  ascendentibus 
illis  Hierosolymam  secundum  con- 
suetudinem  diei  festi,  consummatis- 
que  diebus,  cum  redirent,  remansit 
Jesus  in  Hierosolymae  et  non  cog- 
noverunt  parentes  ejus.  Existimantes 
autem  ilium  esse  in  comitatu,  vene- 
runt   iter    diei  et   requirebant    eum 

[264] 


The  Childhood  of  Christ 


ND  the  Child  grewand  waxed 
strong,  filled  with  wisdom; 
and  the  grace  of  God  was 
upon  him. 

And  his  parents  went  to  Jerusa- 
lem every  year  at  the  feast  of  the 
passover.  And  when  he  was  twelve 
years  old,  they  went  up  into  Jeru- 
salem after  the  custom  of  the  feast; 
and  when  they  had  fulfilled  the  days, 
as  they  returned,  Jesus  tarried  behind 
in  Jerusalem,  and  his  parents  knew 
not  of  it.  And  they,  supposing  him 
to  be  in  the  company,  went  a  day's 
journey,  and  sought  him  among  their 

[265] 


Evangelium  Infantiae 


inter  cognatos  et  notos,  Et  non  in- 
venientes,  regressi  sunt  in  Hierosoly- 
mam  requirentes  eum.  Et  factum  est, 
post  triduum,  invenerunt  ilium  in 
templo,  sedentem  in  medio  doc- 
torum,  audientem  illos  et  interro- 
gantem  eos. 

Et  videns  matrem  dixit  illae: 
Quid  est  quod  me  quaerebatis? 
Nesciabatis  quia  in  his,  quae  Patris 
mei  sunt,  oportet  me  esse? 

FINIS. 


]^^G(^^^ 


T^he  Childhood  of  Christ 

kinsfolk  and  acquaintance.  And 
when  they  found  him  not,  they  turned 
back  again  to  Jerusalem  seeking  him. 
And  it  came  to  pass  that,  after  three 
days,  they  found  him  in  the  Temple, 
sitting  in  the  midst  of  the  doctors, 
hearing  them,  and  asking  them 
questions. 

And  seeing  his  mother,  he  said 
unto  her.  How  is  it  that  ye  sought 
me?  Wist  ye  not  that  I  must  be 
about  my  Father's  business? 

THE   END. 


[267] 


APPENDIX 


NOTE.     The  following  passages  y  omitted  from  the  text  for 
reasons  of  taste,  are  added  here  for  the  sake  of  completeness. 


Appendix 


Caput  ^uartum* 


* 


^^^NGRESSA  est  cum  Joseph  Zelemi  ob- 
^l^  stetrix  et  dixit  Mariae :  Permitte  mihi 
ut  tangam  te.  Et  cum  permisit  Maria  se 
tangi,  obstetrix  clamavit  magna  voce: 
Domine,  Domine,  miserere!  adhuc  hoc  nee 
audivi  nee  in  suspicione  habui  ut  mamilla 
virginalis  plena  sit  lacte  et  natus  masculus 
matrem  suam  virginem  ostendat.  Nulla  pol- 
lutio  in  nascentem,  nullus  dolor  in  parturi- 
ente ;  virgo  concepit,  virgo  peperit  et  virgo 
permanet.  Audiens  hanc  vocem,  alia  obste- 
trix nomine  Salome  ingressa  est  et  dixit : 
Quod  ego  audio  non  credam  nisi  forte  ipse 
probavero.  Et  Mariae:  Permitte  ut  tangam  te. 
Cum  Maria  permisit  se  tangi  misit  manum 
suam  Salome,  et  cum  misit  et  tetigit,  statim 
exaruit  manus.  Prae  dolore  coepit  flere  vehc- 
mentissime  et  angustiari  et  clamare  et  dicere: 

[270] 


Appendix 


Domine,  Domine!  ecce  misera  facta  sum 
propter  incredulitatem,  quia  ausa  fui  temp- 
tare  virginem  tuam !  Sed  ex  angelis  qui  voli- 
tabant  super  efFusas  rosas  unus  ait:  Accede 
ad  infantem,  et  adora  eum,  et  continge  manu 
tua,  et  sanabit  illam,  quia  ipse  est  Salvator 
saeculi  et  omnium  operantium  in  se. 

Et  confcstim  ad  infantem  accessit  Salome, 
et  adorans  eum  tetigit  fimbrias  panuorum  in 
quibus  infans  involutus  erat,  et  statim  sanata 
est  manus  ejus. 


Caput  Uuintum* 


* 


^^^EINDE,  cum  fuit  tempus  circumci- 
jt^^^  sionis,  id  est  octavo  die,  Joseph  circum- 
cidit  in  spelunca  virginis  natum,  et  Zelemi, 
una  duarum  obstetricium,  praeputium  ac- 
cepit  et  indidit  eum  in  alabastrum  nardo 
odoriferum. 

Vero  obstetrix  filium  habebat,  qui  ungucn- 

[271] 


Appendix 


tarius  erat  in  urbe  Magdala.  Filio  vas  dedit, 
dicens:  Cave  ne  vendas  vas  illud  nardo  ple- 
num etsi  divitissimus  emptor  tibi  trecentos 
denarios  offert.  Filius  respondit:  Non  ven- 
dam  illud. 

Attamen,  multo  post  meretrix  quaedam 
prope  tabernulam  unguentarii  decembulans 
cum  juventibus  vino  et  cibo  saturis  adspexit 
alabastrum  nardo  odorantem,  in  quo  jacebat 
divi  Infantis  praeputium  et  ut  ilium  obtineret 
trecentos  denarios  obtulit.  Sed  unguentarius 
negavit.  Tunc  meretrix,  quae  pulcherrima 
erat,  unguentario  ultra  trecentos  denarios 
basium  unum  pollicita  est  si  alabastrum  do- 
naret.   Et  unguentarius  annuit. 

Meretrix  autem  Maria  Magdalene  dice- 
batur  et,  multos  post  annos,  vas  illud  nard 
plenum  et  suaviore  odore  efFusit  in  pedes 
Domini.  Nam  munus  nullum,  aroma  vel 
anima,  eo  dignum  est,  nisi  suum. 


[272] 


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